calf

¹ American  

[kaf, kahf] / kæf, kɑf /

noun

• calves
  plural

1. the young of the domestic cow or other bovine animal.

2. the young of certain other mammals, as elephants, seals, and whales.

3. calfskin.

4. Informal. an awkward, silly boy or man.

5. a mass of ice detached from a glacier, iceberg, or floe.

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idioms

1. kill the fatted calf, to prepare an elaborate feast in welcome or celebration.

2. in calf, (of a cow or other animal having calves) pregnant.

calf ² American  

[kaf, kahf] / kæf, kɑf /

noun

• calves
  plural

1. the fleshy part of the back of the human leg below the knee.

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calf ¹ British  

/ kɑːf /

noun

1. the young of cattle, esp domestic cattle

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. to celebrate lavishly, esp as a welcome

5. another name for calfskin

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calf ² British  

/ kɑːf /

noun

1. the thick fleshy part of the back of the leg between the ankle and the knee

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calf More Idioms  

1. see kill the fatted calf; puppy (calf) love.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• calfless
  adjective
• calflike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• calves
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

calf calves

Meanwhile, fly-half Fin Smith took a limited part in training as he continues his recovery from a calf problem.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Mageean endured more Olympic heartache at the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, when a calf injury disrupted her preparations as she exited from the heats.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

They applied a harmless but uncomfortable heat sensation to the calf, similar to the brief pain someone might experience when accidentally touching a hot stove.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

Misiorowski delivered his most dominant performance of the playoffs, overwhelming the Rays over 5 ⅔ scoreless innings before departing with a calf cramp.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Every time it was my turn, she had a bull calf.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

In the 1870s, a Pend d’Oreille Indian named Walking Coyote captured a few bison calves from northern Montana.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

The observation adds to the small number of documented cases involving deceased calves in baleen whales.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

By the time I reached the top, my shoulders were burning, my calves were screaming and I could no longer say exactly how many steps I’d climbed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

All of the affected elephants - mainly female adults and their calves - had also shown signs of paralysis, which authorities believe also points to cyanide poisoning.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

In the frosty early mornings or in the heat of the sun, when they were injured, or giving birth to their calves, or when they needed comfort as the Dragon roared, he had been there.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

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