calve
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calve
- /kɑːv/ UK, Wales
- /kæv/ US
- /kav/ Scotland
Sounds like carve (some non-rhotic accents, e.g. Received Pronunciation) · Rhymes with -ɑːv, -æv
Where it comes from
From Middle English calven, from Old English *calfian, cealfian, from Proto-West Germanic *kalbōn, from Proto-Germanic *kalbōną (“to calve”), from *kalbaz (“calf”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian koolvje, Dutch kalven, German Low German kalven, German kalben, Swedish kalva, Icelandic kálfa.
verb calves · calving · calved
- To give birth to a calf. The farmer could tell Bessie was about to calve.
- To assist in a cow’s giving birth to a calf. The farmer calved Bessie for almost two hours.
- To give birth to (a calf).
- To shed a large piece. The glacier was starting to calve even as we watched.
- To break off. The sea was dangerous because of icebergs calving off the nearby glacier.
- To shed (a large piece); to set loose (a mass of ice). The glacier was starting to calve an iceberg even as we watched.
Translations
Every language
verb to give birth to a calf
| Français | vêler, mettre bas |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | kalben |
| Русский | тели́ться telítʹsja |
verb to give birth to (a calf)
| Français | mettre bas |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | werfen |
verb to assist in a cow's giving birth to a calf
| Français | aider le vêlage |
|---|
verb to shed a large piece
| Français | se fragmenter, se scinder, se morceler, se casser, se fractionner, se briser |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | kalben |
verb to break off
| Français | se détacher (de) |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | sich lösen |
verb to shed, set loose (a mass of ice)
| Français | perdre, abandonner |
|---|
Talk about this word "calve." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/calve. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. calve. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/calve "calve." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/calve.Cite this
@misc{calve_2026,
title = {calve},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/calve},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
