Wiktionary

calf

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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A cow and her calf.

From Middle English calf, kælf, kelf, from Old English cælf, ċealf; also cognate with German Kalb (“calf”), Dutch kalf (“calf”) and Danish kalv (“calf”), from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz, further etymology unknown.[2]

Noun

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calf (plural calves or (nonstandard) calfs)

  2. A young cow or bull.
  3. Leather made of the skin of the calf; especially, a fine, light-coloured leather used in bookbinding.
  4. A young deer, elephant, seal, whale or giraffe (also used of some other animals).
  5. A chunk of ice broken from a larger glacier, ice shelf, or iceberg.
    • 1915 (published), 1848 (first written), Elisha Kent Kane, Adrift in the Arctic Ice Pack
      Our swell ceases with this wind, and the floes seem disposed to come together again; but the days of winter have passed by, and the interposing calves prevent the apposition of the edges
  6. A small island, near a larger island.
    the Calf of Man
  7. A cabless railroad engine.
  8. (informal, dated) An awkward or silly boy or young man; any silly person; a dolt.
    • 1627, Michaell Drayton [i.e., Michael Drayton], “Nimphidia. The Court of Fayrie.”, in The Battaile of Agincourt. […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for VVilliam Lee, […], published 1631, →OCLC:
      some silly, doating, brainless calf
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

See also

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Etymology 2

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From Middle English calf, kalf, from Old Norse kalfi, possibly derived from the same Germanic root as English calf (“young cow”) (above). Cognate with Icelandic kálfi (“calf of the leg”).

Noun

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calf (plural calves)

  1. (anatomy) The back of the leg below the knee.
  2. The muscle in the back of the leg below the knee.
    • 1988, Steve Holman, “Christian Conquers Columbus”, in 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.
Derived terms
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Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

References

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  1. ^ Bingham, Caleb (1808) “Improprieties in Pronunciation, common among the people of New-England”, in The Child's Companion; Being a Conciſe Spelling-book […] ‎[1], 12th edition, Boston: Manning & Loring, →OCLC, page 74.
  2. ^ Guus Kroonen (2013) “*kalbiz-”, in Alexander Lubotsky, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎[2], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 278

Anagrams

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Middle Dutch

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Etymology

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From Old Dutch calf, from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz.

Noun

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calf n

  1. calf

Inflection

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This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

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  • Dutch: kalf
  • Limburgish: kalf

Further reading

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Middle English

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Etymology 1

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From Old English cælf, Anglian form of ċealf, from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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calf (plural calver(e) or calveren or calves)

  2. calf (cow that has not fully matured)
    • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎[3], published c. 1410, Apocalips 4:7, page 118v, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
      ⁊ þe firſte beeſte .· liyk a lioun / ⁊ þe ſecounde beeſte .· lijk a calf / ⁊ þe þꝛidde beeſte .· hauynge a face as of a man / ⁊ þe fourþe beeſte .· liyk an egle fleynge
      And the first beast [was] like a lion; and the second beast [was] like a calf; and the third beast had a face like a human; and the fourth beast [was] like an eagle flying.
  3. A representation of a calf; something that looks like a calf.
  4. fawn (deer that has not fully matured)
  5. (rare) Veal; the meat of calves.
Descendants
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References
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Etymology 2

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From Old Norse kalfi.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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calf (plural calves)

  2. calf (part of the leg).
Descendants
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References
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Old Dutch

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *kalbaz.

Noun

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calf n

  1. calf

Descendants

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Further reading

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  • “kalf”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

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Noun

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calf n

  1. Alternative form of ċealf

Scots

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English calf (“young cow”).

Noun

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calf

  1. Alternative form of cauf (“calf (young cow)”)

Etymology 2

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From Middle English caf, caff, kaf, kaff, alternative forms of chaf.

Noun

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calf

  1. Alternative form of caff
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