Dictionary

calve en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /kɑːv/ (Received-Pronunciation, Wales)
• /kæv/ (General-American)
• /kav/ (Scotland)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To give birth to a calf.
   • The farmer could tell Bessie was about to calve.
2. (intransitive) To assist in a cow’s giving birth to a calf.
   • The farmer calved Bessie for almost two hours.
3. (transitive) To give birth to (a calf).
4. (especially, figuratively, intransitive, of an ice shelf, qualifier:a glacier; an ice sheet; a glacier; an ice sheet) To shed a large piece.
   • The glacier was starting to calve even as we watched.
5. (especially, figuratively, intransitive, of an iceberg) To break off.
   • The sea was dangerous because of icebergs calving off the nearby glacier.
6. (especially, figuratively, of an ice shelf, qualifier:a glacier; an ice sheet; a glacier; an ice sheet, transitive) To shed (a large piece); to set loose (a mass of ice).
   • The glacier was starting to calve an iceberg even as we watched.

Forms

Deriveds

calver · down-calver

Relateds

calf · calves

Translations (55)

fr abandonner (to shed, set loose (a mass of ice)) · ta கன்றுபோடு (to give birth to a calf) · hsb woćelić so (to give birth to a calf) · nb kalve (to give birth to a calf) · fr mettre bas (to give birth to (a calf)) · ota بوغالامق (to give birth to a calf) · de sich lösen (to break off) · pl cielić się (to give birth to a calf) · hsb ćelić (to give birth to a calf) · fr se casser (to shed a large piece) · fr se détacher (de) (to break off) · ota كوشكلمك (to give birth to a calf) · eo naski bovidon (to give birth to a calf) · nl loskomen (to break off) · hsb ćelećić (to give birth to a calf) · pl ocielić się (to give birth to a calf) · fi poikia (to give birth to a calf) · fr perdre (to shed, set loose (a mass of ice)) · cs otelit se (to give birth to a calf) · fr se fractionner (to shed a large piece) · fr se fragmenter (to shed a large piece) · ca vedellar (to give birth to a calf) · da kælve (to shed a large piece) · nl helpen met het kalven (to assist in a cow's giving birth to a calf) · nn kalva (to give birth to a calf) · nb kalve (to shed a large piece) · nl kalven (to give birth to a calf) · izh poikihussa (to give birth to a calf) · da kælve (to shed, set loose (a mass of ice)) · fi vasikoida (to give birth to a calf) · nl ter wereld brengen (to give birth to (a calf)) · fr mettre bas (to give birth to a calf) · fr se briser (to shed a large piece) · izh poikihua (to give birth to a calf) · da kælve (to give birth to a calf) · izh poikia (to give birth to a calf) · da kælve (to break off) · izh poikiissa (to give birth to a calf) · de kalben (to shed a large piece) · cs telit se (to give birth to a calf) · ota بوغالامق (to assist in a cow's giving birth to a calf) · fo kálva (to give birth to a calf) · de werfen (to give birth to (a calf)) · bg отелвам се (to give birth to a calf) · nn kalve (to give birth to a calf) · de kalben (to give birth to a calf) · fi vasikoida (to assist in a cow's giving birth to a calf) · fr aider le vêlage (to assist in a cow's giving birth to a calf) · sv kalva (to give birth to a calf) · fr se scinder (to shed a large piece) · ru тели́ться (to give birth to a calf) · fr se morceler (to shed a large piece) · fr vêler (to give birth to a calf) · nl afkalven (to shed a large piece) · fi poikia (to shed a large piece)