calf
English
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. enPR: käf, IPA(key): /kɑːf/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GA" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. enPR: kăf, IPA(key): /kæf/
Audio (US): (file)
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "Australia" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /kɐːf/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "Northern England" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /kaf/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "dialectal" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /keɪf/[1]
- Rhymes: -ɑːf, -æf
Etymology 1
![](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Cow_and_calf.jpg/220px-Cow_and_calf.jpg)
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
calf (plural calves or (nonstandard) calfs)
- A young cow or bull.
- Leather made of the skin of the calf; especially, a fine, light-coloured leather used in bookbinding.
- A young deer, elephant, seal, whale or giraffe (also used of some other animals).
- 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
- 1915 (published), 1848 (first written), Elisha Kent Kane, Adrift in the Arctic Ice Pack
- 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.
- 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
Derived terms
Related terms
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.
See also
Etymology 2
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
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”, 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
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.
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*kalbiz-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 278
Anagrams
Middle Dutch
Etymology
From Old Dutch calf, from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz.
Noun
calf n
Inflection
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Descendants
Further reading
- “calf”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
- Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “calf”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old English cælf, Anglian form of ċealf, from Proto-Germanic *kalbaz.
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Noun
calf (plural calver(e) or calveren or calves)
- calf (cow that has not fully matured)
- c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)[2], 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.
- A representation of a calf; something that looks like a calf.
- fawn (deer that has not fully matured)
- (rare) Veal; the meat of calves.
Descendants
References
- “calf, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-17.
Etymology 2
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Noun
calf (plural calves)
- calf (part of the leg).
Descendants
References
- “calf, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-17.
Old Dutch
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *kalbaz.
Noun
calf n
Descendants
Further reading
- “kalf”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012
Scots
Etymology 1
From Middle English calf (“young cow”).
Noun
calf
- Alternative form of cauf (“calf (young cow)”)
Etymology 2
From Middle English caf, caff, kaf, kaff, alternative forms of chaf.
Noun
calf
- Alternative form of caff
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɑːf
- Rhymes:English/ɑːf/1 syllable
- Rhymes:English/æf
- Rhymes:English/æf/1 syllable
- 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 lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with usage examples
- English informal terms
- English dated terms
- English terms derived from Old Norse
- en:Anatomy
- 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
- Middle Dutch neuter nouns
- dum:Cattle
- Middle English terms inherited from Old English
- Middle English terms derived from Old English
- Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Middle English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns
- Middle English terms with quotations
- Middle English terms with rare senses
- Middle English terms borrowed from Old Norse
- Middle English terms derived from Old Norse
- enm:Anatomy
- enm:Baby animals
- enm:Bovines
- enm:Livestock
- enm:Mammals
- enm:Meats
- Old Dutch terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Old Dutch terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Old Dutch lemmas
- Old Dutch nouns
- Old Dutch neuter nouns
- odt:Animals
- Scots terms inherited from Middle English
- Scots terms derived from Middle English
- Scots lemmas
- Scots nouns