plural calves
ˈkavz 
ˈkävz,
ˈkāvz
also calfs
often attributive
1
a
: the young of the domestic cow
also
: that of a closely related mammal (such as a bison)
b
: the young of various large animals (such as the elephant or whale)
2
3
: an awkward or silly youth
plural calves
ˈkavz
ˈkävz
: the fleshy back part of the leg below the knee
The cat rubbed against her calves.
Examples of calf in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Douglas R. Cavener, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2024
Wildlife officers found an elk calf in the area following the incident and an adult female elk became aggressive toward the officer on the scene where the young calf was discovered, CPW said.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
Beer had shown calves could be infected in a lab, but in the real world, cows had never been part of the H5 story.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 5 June 2024
An elk protecting a calf charged and stomped on an 8-year-old girl riding a bicycle nearby, Colorado officials say.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for calf 
Noun
Females need proportionally longer trunks to grow calves that can be well over 6 feet tall at birth.
—Douglas R. Cavener, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2024
Wildlife officers found an elk calf in the area following the incident and an adult female elk became aggressive toward the officer on the scene where the young calf was discovered, CPW said.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
Beer had shown calves could be infected in a lab, but in the real world, cows had never been part of the H5 story.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 5 June 2024
An elk protecting a calf charged and stomped on an 8-year-old girl riding a bicycle nearby, Colorado officials say.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for calf
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'calf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near calf
Cite this Entry
“Calf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calf. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
calf
2 of 2 noun
plural calves
: the fleshy or muscular back part of the leg below the knee
Etymology
Noun
Old English cealf "young cow"
Noun
Middle English calf "part of the leg"; of Norse origin
Medical Definition
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