calf
Contents
English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle English calf, from Old English cealf, from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz (compare Dutch kalf, German Kalb, Danish kalv), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷolbʰo (“womb, animal young”), *gʷelbʰ- (compare Ancient Greek (Hesychius) δολφός (dolphós, “womb”), δελφύς (delphús), Avestan 𐬔𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬎𐬎𐬀 (garəwa) 'uterus', Sanskrit गर्भ (gárbha) 'womb'), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to swell”).
Noun[edit]
calf (plural calves)
- A young cow or bull.
- Leather made of the skin of the calf; especially, a fine, light-coloured leather used in bookbinding.
- A young elephant, seal or whale (also used of some other animals).
- A chunk of ice broken from a larger glacier, ice shelf, or iceberg.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Kane to this entry?)
- A small island, near a larger island.
- the Calf of Man
- A cabless railroad engine.
- (informal, dated) An awkward or silly boy or young man; any silly person; a dolt.
- Drayton
- some silly, doting, brainless calf
- Drayton
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
young cow or bull
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young elephant, seal or whale (also used of some other animals)
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chunk of ice broken off of a larger glacier, ice shelf, or iceberg
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
See also[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
Old Norse kalfi, possibly derived from the same Germanic root as calf (“young cow”) (above).
Noun[edit]
calf (plural calves)
- (anatomy) The back of the leg below the knee.
- The muscle in the back of the leg below the knee.
- 1988, Steve Holman, "Christian Conquers Columbus", Ironman, 47 (6): 28-34.
- Sure, his calves are a little weak, but the rest of his physique is so overwhelming, he should place high.
- 1988, Steve Holman, "Christian Conquers Columbus", Ironman, 47 (6): 28-34.
Translations[edit]
anatomy: back of the leg below the knee
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muscle in the back of the leg below the knee
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
Anagrams[edit]
Middle Dutch[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Old Dutch kalf, from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz.
Noun[edit]
calf n
Inflection[edit]
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Descendants[edit]
Further reading[edit]
Categories:
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- Requests for quotation/Kane
- English informal terms
- English dated terms
- English terms derived from Old Norse
- en:Anatomy
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- English terms with multiple etymologies
- en:Baby animals
- en:Bodybuilding
- en:Cattle
- Middle Dutch terms inherited from Old Dutch
- Middle Dutch terms derived from Old Dutch
- Middle Dutch terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Middle Dutch terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Middle Dutch lemmas
- Middle Dutch nouns
- dum:Cattle