Calf
Definitions
- A young cow or bull of any bovid, such as domestic cattle or buffalo.
- The back of the leg below the knee.
- Leather made of the skin of domestic calves; especially, a fine, light-coloured leather used in bookbinding.
- The muscle in the back of the leg below the knee.
- The young of various animals, especially elephant, giraffe, reindeer, seal, or whale (also indiscriminately used of other animals).
- A mass of ice broken from a larger glacier, ice shelf, or iceberg.
- A small island, near a larger island.
- A cabless railroad engine.
- An awkward or silly boy or young man; any silly person; a dolt.
Equivalents
Examples
“And Goldenhorns calved. A great day in the wilderness, a joy and a delight. They gave her flour-wash, and Isak himself saw⟳ to it there was no stint of flour, though he had carried it all the way himself, on his back. And there lay⟳ a pretty calf, a beauty, red-flanked like⟳ her mother, and comically bewildered at the miracle of coming into the world. In a couple of years she would be having calves of her own⟳.”
“We find⟳ now, that instead of leather made from sheep, calf, goat, and pig-skins, each having, when finished, its own⟳ characteristic surface, that sheepskins are got up to look⟳ like⟳ calf, morocco, or pigskin; that calf is grained to resemble⟳ morocco or so polished and fattened as to have⟳ but little character left; while goatskins are grained in any number⟳ of ways, and pigskin is often grained like⟳ levant morocco. So clever are some of these imitations that it takes a skilled expert to identify⟳ a leather when it is on a book. . . I am inclined to consider⟳ that calf, as a sound⟳ leather, has been manufactured out of existence, for it is unusual to find⟳ a 19th century calf binding of more than fifteen years old that does not show⟳ signs of decay.”
“1915 (published), 1848 (first written), Elisha Kent Kane, Adrift in the Arctic Ice Pack⟳ Our swell ceases with this wind, and the floes seem disposed to come⟳ together again; but the days of winter have⟳ passed by, and the interposing calves prevent⟳ the apposition of the edges”
“Situated in the north of the Irish Sea and to the south-west of the isle of Man, the Calf of Man is ideally placed on the bird migration routes over the western side of the British Isles. Its importance for migrating and breeding birds had been recognised long before the observatory was established in 1959. . . Visitors can explore⟳ the Calf as day visitors or can stay⟳ in the hostel accommodation. . .”
“some silly, doating, brainless calf”
“Sure, his calves are a little weak, but the rest⟳ of his physique is so overwhelming, he should place⟳ high.”
CEFR level
B1
Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B1 vocabulary — intermediate level.
This word is part of the CEFR B1 vocabulary — intermediate level.
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