calf

Calf means a baby cow.

(noun)

The small cow nursing from the mother cow is an example of a calf.

Calf means the baby of a large mammal like a seal or elephant.

(noun)

The little whale swimming alongside its mother is an example of calf.

Calf means the back part of the lower leg.

(noun)

The part of the body accentuated by high heels is an example of calf.

See calf in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. calves, calfs

a young cow or bull
the young of some other large animals, as the elephant, whale, hippopotamus, seal, etc.
a large piece of ice broken off from an iceberg or coast glacier
leather from the hide of a calf; calfskin
Informal an awkward, callow, or silly youth

Origin: ME < OE cealf & ON kalfr < IE *geleb(h)- < base *gel-, to swell, form a ball (hence swelling, fetus, offspring) > club, L globus

noun pl. calves

the fleshy back part of the leg below the knee

Origin: ME < ON kalfi; akin to kalfr, calf

See calf in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. calves calves (kăvz, kävz)

a. A young cow or bull.
b. The young of certain other mammals, such as the elephant or whale.
Calfskin leather.
A large floating chunk of ice split off from a glacier, iceberg, or floe.
An awkward, callow youth.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English cealf

noun pl. calves calves (kăvz, kävz)

The fleshy muscular back part of the human leg between the knee and ankle.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old Norse kālfi

Origin: ; possibly akin to calf¹ (from its shape)

Learn more about calf

calf synonyms

calf medical definition