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calf1

[kaf, kahf] /kæf, kɑf/
noun, plural calves
[kavz, kahvz] /kævz, kɑvz/ (Show IPA)
1.
the young of the domestic cow or other bovine animal.
2.
the young of certain other mammals, as the elephant, seal, and whale.
3.
calfskin leather.
4.
Informal. an awkward, silly boy or man.
5.
a mass of ice detached from a glacier, iceberg, or floe.
Idioms
6.
in calf, (of a cow or other animal having calves) pregnant.
7.
kill the fatted calf, to prepare an elaborate feast in welcome or celebration.
Origin of calf1
Middle English
Old English
900
before 900; Middle English; Old English cealf, calf; cognate with Old Saxon kalf, Old Norse kalfr, Old High German kalb
Related forms
calfless, adjective
calflike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
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British Dictionary definitions for kill the fatted calf

calf1

/kɑːf/
noun (pl) calves
1.
the young of cattle, esp domestic cattle related adjective vituline
2.
the young of certain other mammals, such as the buffalo, elephant, giraffe, and whale
3.
a large piece of floating ice detached from an iceberg, etc
4.
kill the fatted calf, to celebrate lavishly, esp as a welcome
5.
another name for calfskin
Word Origin
Old English cealf; related to Old Norse kālfr, Gothic kalbō, Old High German kalba

calf2

/kɑːf/
noun (pl) calves
1.
the thick fleshy part of the back of the leg between the ankle and the knee related adjective sural
Word Origin
C14: from Old Norse kalfi
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for kill the fatted calf

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).

calf

n.1

"young cow," Old English cealf (Anglian cælf) "young cow," from West Germanic *kalbam (cf. 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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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kill the fatted calf in Medicine

calf (kāf)
n. pl. calves (kāvz)
The fleshy, muscular back part of the human leg between the knee and ankle, formed chiefly by the bellies of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang definitions & phrases for kill the fatted calf

calf

Related Terms

shake a wicked calf

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
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Idioms and Phrases with kill the fatted calf

kill the fatted calf

Prepare for a joyful occasion or a warm welcome. For example, When Bill comes home from his trip to Korea we're going to kill the fatted calf. This expression alludes to the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), whose father welcomed him by serving the choicest calf after his return. [ Early 1600s ]

calf

see:
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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