calf
1 Americannoun
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the young of the domestic cow or other bovine animal.
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the young of certain other mammals, as elephants, seals, and whales.
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Informal. an awkward, silly boy or man.
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a mass of ice detached from a glacier, iceberg, or floe.
idioms
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kill the fatted calf, to prepare an elaborate feast in welcome or celebration.
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in calf, (of a cow or other animal having calves) pregnant.
noun
noun
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the young of cattle, esp domestic cattle
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the young of certain other mammals, such as the buffalo, elephant, giraffe, and whale
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a large piece of floating ice detached from an iceberg, etc
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to celebrate lavishly, esp as a welcome
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another name for calfskin
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of calf1
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English cealf, calf; cognate with Old Saxon kalf, Old Norse kalfr, Old High German kalb, from Germanic kalboz
Origin of calf2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old Norse kalfi
Explanation
The word calf can mean either a baby cow or bull, or the area of the back of your leg between your ankle and knee. Cattle are not the only animals whose babies are called calves. You can use the word to mean a baby whale, baby elephant, camel, bison, elk, giraffe, gnu, hippopotamus, moose, ox, reindeer, rhinoceros, and yak. If a large piece of ice breaks off of a glacier or iceberg, well that's a calf too! If you want to strengthen your calves, doing heel raises while holding a calf is an interesting way to go about it.
Vocabulary lists containing calf
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Calf injuries, even the most minor, have been major concerns for the NBA since three stars suffered Achilles tendon tears during last season’s playoffs.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025
It currently features work by Shana Yellow Calf Lukinich, and will be showcased in the gallery through the end of 2023.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 3, 2023
For the Guardian, the first 2½ weeks of the World Cup were known as “Sam Kerr Calf Watch.”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2023
Intense heat from the so-called Hermit's Peak Calf Canyon wildfire left soil unable to absorb water, turning hillsides into life-threatening debris flows during summer monsoon rains.
From Reuters • Aug. 8, 2022
Her dandelion field and her Red Calf were all very well, but she wanted something else and she couldn’t think what it was.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
