calf
pronunciation
How to pronounce calf in British English:
UK [kɑːf]
How to pronounce calf in American English:
US [kæf]
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- Noun:
- young of domestic cattle
- the muscular back part of the shank
- fine leather from the skin of a calf
- young of various large placental mammals e.g. whale or giraffe or elephant or buffalo
Word Origin
- calf
- calf: English has two distinct words calf, both of Germanic origin. Calf ‘young cow’ goes back to Old English cealf, descendant of a prehistoric West Germanic *kalbam, which also produced German kalb and Dutch kalf. Calf of the leg [14] was borrowed from Old Norse kálfi, of unknown origin.
- calf (n.1)
- "young cow," Old English cealf (Anglian cælf) "young cow," from Proto-Germanic *kalbam (cognates: Middle Dutch calf, Old Norse kalfr, German Kalb, Gothic kalbo), perhaps from PIE *gelb(h)-, from root *gel- "to swell," hence, "womb, fetus, young of an animal." Elliptical sense of "leather made from the skin of a calf" is from 1727. Used of icebergs that break off from glaciers from 1818.
- calf (n.2)
- fleshy part of the lower leg, early 14c., from Old Norse kalfi, source unknown; possibly from the same Germanic root as calf (n.1).
Example
- 1. The second hit his wife 's calf .
- 2. It turned out that he had torn the muscle under his calf .
- 3. A calf lay dead next to its mother .
- 4. The story is popularly remembered as having the people worshipping the golden calf they had made .
- 5. The calf would give them access to forces that could assuage their fears .