Calf

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kɑːf/

Definitions

1. The fleshy back part of the leg below the knee, or a young bovine animal
2. The lower leg section behind the knee is comprised of muscles and tendons, while a young member of the cattle family is often identified as this term's alternative meaning
3. The area of muscular tissue located at the back of the lower leg is distinctively referred to, while a young individual of the bovine species is also known by this term

Etymology: The "calf" of your leg and the calf of a cow turn out to be the same word, and the leg sense is in fact older in its own right than many people would guess from how the two are used today. English "calf" for a young cow comes from Old English "cealf" and "ċealf", which goes back to a Proto-Germanic form "*kalbaz". That same root gives German "Kalb", Dutch "kalf", and Swedish "kalv", so the animal name is shared across nearly all the Germanic languages. Its ultimate origin remains unknown. The leg sense arrived in English later, from Middle English "kalf" and "calf", borrowed from Old Norse "kalfi". Icelandic still uses "kálfi" for the calf of the leg, which shows how the Norse word kept the body-part meaning alongside its link to the animal. The Old Norse word is possibly derived from the same Germanic root as the English animal word, though that connection is not certain.

Synonyms: young cow, bovine, offspring, heifer, bull

Antonyms: adult, cow, bull