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