# calf

/ˈkæf/ (US) · /kˈɑːf/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/calf
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. young cow

noun · CEFR A2

a young cow or bull.

For teachers: the young of domestic cattle, typically under one year of age.

- The farmer watched the young calf follow its mother across the field.
- The dairy farmer separated the newborn calf from the herd to ensure it received proper veterinary attention during its first week.

### 2. part of the leg

noun · CEFR B1

the back part of your leg between your knee and your ankle.

For teachers: the fleshy muscular back part of the human leg below the knee.

- He felt a sharp pain in his left calf while he was running up the hill.
- The athlete suffered a severe strain to his right calf, necessitating several weeks of intensive physical therapy before he could return to competition.

### 3. other young animals

noun · CEFR B2

the baby of some other large animals, like elephants or whales.

For teachers: the young of various large mammals including elephants, whales, giraffes, and hippopotamuses.

- The documentary showed a whale calf swimming close to its mother in the ocean.
- Conservationists monitored the elephant calf closely, noting that its social integration into the matriarchal group was progressing ahead of schedule.

### 4. leather

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a soft, high-quality leather made from the skin of a young cow.

For teachers: leather made from the hide of a calf, valued for its fine grain and durability in bookbinding and footwear.

- The old book was bound in smooth brown calf and felt very expensive.
- The collector preferred editions bound in antique calf, as the material developed a distinctive patina that modern synthetic alternatives could not replicate.

### 5. ice mass

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a piece of ice that breaks off from a glacier or iceberg.

For teachers: a mass of ice that has broken away from a glacier, ice shelf, or larger iceberg.

- The explorers saw a small calf of ice floating near the main glacier.
- As the glacier retreated, several large calves drifted into the bay, posing a significant navigational hazard to the research vessel.

## Examples

- My calf feels tight after that long run.
- The athlete suffered a strain in her left calf during the final sprint of the race.
- Stretching the calf muscles daily can prevent common injuries like Achilles tendonitis and improve overall lower body flexibility for long-distance hikers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.