calf

IPA/kɑːf/
KK[kˈæf]IPA/kæf/

calf — noun

  • calfsingular
  • calvesplural

1. the baby form of a cow, or of a large animal such as an elephant or whale

1.nounB1
Definition

the baby form of a cow, or of a large animal such as an elephant or whale

Example

Élise fed the calf warm milk before sunrise on the farm.

collocation: feed a calf

The elephant calf followed its mother across the dry riverbed.

pattern: species noun + calf

Common collocations
  • feed a calf
  • newborn calf
  • elephant calf
  • whale calf
  • buffalo calf
Synonyms
  • cub

    used for the young of animals such as bears and lions, not cows

  • foal

    used for a young horse or donkey, not for cattle

  • kid

    usually means a young goat, so it fits different animals

Grammar Patterns

a calf

elephant calf / whale calf / buffalo calf

Usage Note

By itself, calf usually means a baby cow. With other large animals, English often adds the species name before it, as in elephant calf or whale calf.

Common Mistakes

Two calfs were sleeping by the fence.
Two calves were sleeping by the fence.
the plural form is 'calves', not 'calfs'.
The sheep stayed close to her calf.
The sheep stayed close to her lamb.
'calf' is not used for a baby sheep.

2. used in the phrase in calf to say that a cow is carrying a baby

2.nounC1
Definition

used in the phrase in calf to say that a cow is carrying a baby

Example

The vet confirmed that the brown cow was in calf again.

fixed phrase: be in calf

The farm record showed which cows were in calf this spring.

Common collocations
  • be in calf
  • cow in calf
  • go in calf
Synonyms
  • pregnant

    more general word used for both people and animals

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be in calf

Usage Note

Used almost only after be, especially for cows and similar farm animals. Do not use it for people.

Common Mistakes

The cow has calf.
The cow is in calf.
this meaning uses the fixed phrase 'in calf', not 'have calf'.
My sister is in calf.
My sister is pregnant.
'in calf' is for animals such as cows, not for people.

3. the fleshy bulge on the rear of your lower leg

3.nounB2
Definition

the fleshy bulge on the rear of your lower leg

Example

David felt a sharp pain in his calf after the long run.

collocation: pain in one's calf

The nurse pressed Emily's calf to check for swelling.

Common collocations
  • sore calf
  • tight calf
  • calf pain
  • stretch your calf
  • pull a calf muscle
Synonyms
  • calf muscle

    more explicit phrase for the muscle area in the back of the lower leg

Grammar Patterns

pain in one's calf

stretch one's calf

Usage Note

This sense names the back part of the lower leg, not the ankle joint or the whole lower leg. It often appears in contexts about pain, exercise, and injury.

Common Mistakes

My ankle hurts after the run.
My calf hurts after the run.
the calf is the fleshy part below the knee, not the joint above the foot.
Both of my calf are tight today.
Both of my calves are tight today.
use the plural when you mean both legs.

4. soft leather from a young cow's skin, often used for shoes, gloves, and book cov

4.nounC1
Definition

soft leather from a young cow's skin, often used for shoes, gloves, and book covers

Example

The wallet was made of smooth calf and stitched by hand.

pattern: made of calf

Paloma chose calf for the jacket because it felt soft and light.

Common collocations
  • smooth calf
  • black calf
  • calf wallet
  • calf gloves
  • bound in calf
Synonyms
  • calfskin

    more explicit and more common word for this type of fine leather

  • leather

    broader term covering many animal skins, not only calf leather

Grammar Patterns

made of calf

bound in calf

Usage Note

This material sense is usually uncountable and appears in contexts about luxury leather goods. It refers to the leather itself, not to the living animal.

Common Mistakes

The sofa was covered in calf.
The sofa was covered in leather.
calf usually names a fine leather for smaller items such as shoes, gloves, and book covers.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Calf is the normal word for a baby cow, and it can also be used for the young of some other large animals, especially whales and elephants. Cub is used for animals such as bears, lions, and foxes, so it sounds wrong with cattle. Foal belongs to horses and donkeys, while kid is most often used for goats. Offspring is broader and more formal, and it can refer to the young of many kinds of animals. If the species matters, English often adds it before calf, as in whale calf or elephant calf. Farmers talk about feeding a calf, but a zoo guide may point out a newborn elephant calf.

cub ↗foal ↗kid ↗offspring ↗

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Calf comes from Old English cealf, from an older Germanic root. It first named the young of cattle. English later extended the word to the rounded back part of the leg because that part bulges outward, and from the animal sense it also developed the material sense for leather made from a calf's skin.