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# calf

noun (a calf, calves)

«calf» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A calf is a young cow or bull. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#m1)
2. A calf is the young of some other large animals, like elephants, whales, giraffes and deer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#m2)
3. Your calf is the back part of your leg between the knee and the ankle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#m3)

### In the lessons

In science life-cycle lessons, a calf is a baby mammal that drinks its mother's milk. On farms, calves are born in spring. In health and PE, calf muscles help you walk, run and jump; stretch them before exercise. Phrases: calf muscle, calf stretch, cow and calf, an elephant calf.

### Examples

- The cow licked her new calf. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#x1)
- A baby elephant is called a calf. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#x2)
- The whale and her calf swam together. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#x3)
- I pulled a muscle in my calf. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#x4)
- Stretch your calves before running. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#x5)
- The farm has twenty calves. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#x6)
- I had another calf killed; this one was led away. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/#x7)

### Note

Plural calves (f changes to ves), like half/halves. The l is silent: say "kaaf". Calf (leg) and calf (baby animal) are different meanings of the same word.

## In Jewish tradition

A young animal that was used in offerings. "The calf" also means the golden calf the people made at Mount Sinai.

**Interpretation.** The golden calf is seen as Israel's great sin after the covenant at Sinai. The rabbis say Aaron's role in it was to delay the people, and that his sin offering with a calf is a mending of it.

### Examples

- And the LORD smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. (Torah EXO.32.35, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/calf/#x1)
- So Aaron drew near unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin-offering, which was for himself. (Torah LEV.9.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/calf/#x2)
- And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hastened to dress it. (Torah GEN.18.7, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/calf/#x3)
- They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped a molten image. (Writings PSA.106.19, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/calf/#x4)
- Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? (Prophets MIC.6.6, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/calf/#x5)
- Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. (Writings JOB.21.10, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/calf/#x6)

### Note

Plural calves (f changes to ves), like half/halves. The l is silent: say "kaaf". Calf (leg) and calf (baby animal) are different meanings of the same word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «calf» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/calf/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«calf» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/calf.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «calf» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/calf/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«calf» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/calf.html) on Mova free.