calves

A farmer feeds the calves in the barn.

Definition

1. Noun (plural of "calf"):
   • Young bovine animal: "calves" refers to the young of cattle, especially domestic cows.
   • Young of certain other mammals: The term is also used for the offspring of elephants, whales, deer, and other large mammals.
   • The fleshy back part of the human leg below the knee: In anatomy, "calves" denotes the two muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) forming the rounded bulge at the back of the lower leg.

Usage Examples

• (Young cows.)
• (Young whales.)
• (The muscles in the lower legs.)

Advanced Usage

• "Calves of the leg": a formal or anatomical term for the back part of the lower leg.
  • He felt a cramp in his calves during the marathon. (The leg muscles.)
• "Calves' liver": a culinary term for the liver of a young cow, often used in dishes.
  • The restaurant served calves' liver with onions. (Food ingredient.)

Variants and Related Words

• Calf (singular noun): one young bovine or one leg muscle.
  • The calf stayed close to its mother. (Singular young cow.)
• Calfskin (noun): leather made from the skin of a calf.
  • The wallet was made of soft calfskin. (Material.)
• Calf-length (adj): referring to clothing that reaches to the middle of the lower leg.
  • She wore calf-length boots. (Boots covering part of the calves.)

Synonyms

• Young cattle: yearling, heifer (female calf), bullock (young male).
• Leg muscle: gastrocnemius, soleus (specific anatomical terms).

Related Idioms

• To kill the fatted calf: to celebrate someone's return with great hospitality (from the biblical parable of the prodigal son).
  • When her son came home, she killed the fatted calf. (She prepared a lavish welcome.)
• To eat the calf in the cow's belly: to count on something before it is certain (archaic).
  • He spent his future earnings, eating the calf in the cow's belly. (He acted prematurely.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Calve off: (of an iceberg or glacier) to break off a mass of ice.
  • The glacier calved off a huge iceberg. (Ice broke away.)
• Calve into: (of a cow) to give birth to a calf.
  • The cow calved into the meadow. (Gave birth.)