Hypertext Webster Gateway: "calf"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Calf
Calves were commonly made use of in sacrifices, and are
therefore frequently mentioned in Scripture. The "fatted calf"
was regarded as the choicest of animal food; it was frequently
also offered as a special sacrifice (1 Sam. 28:24; Amos 6:4;
Luke 15:23). The words used in Jer. 34:18, 19, "cut the calf in
twain," allude to the custom of dividing a sacrifice into two
parts, between which the parties ratifying a covenant passed
(Gen. 15:9, 10, 17, 18). The sacrifice of the lips, i.e.,
priase, is called "the calves of our lips" (Hos. 14:2, R.V., "as
bullocks the offering of our lips." Comp. Heb. 13:15; Ps. 116:7;
Jer. 33:11).
The golden calf which Aaron made (Ex. 32:4) was probably a
copy of the god Moloch rather than of the god Apis, the sacred
ox or calf of Egypt. The Jews showed all through their history a
tendency toward the Babylonian and Canaanitish idolatry rather
than toward that of Egypt.
Ages after this, Jeroboam, king of Israel, set up two idol
calves, one at Dan, and the other at Bethel, that he might thus
prevent the ten tribes from resorting to Jerusalem for worship
(1 Kings 12:28). These calves continued to be a snare to the
people till the time of their captivity. The calf at Dan was
carried away in the reign of Pekah by Tiglath-pileser, and that
at Bethel ten years later, in the reign of Hoshea, by
Shalmaneser (2 Kings 15:29; 17:33). This sin of Jeroboam is
almost always mentioned along with his name (2 Kings 15:28
etc.).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Calf \Calf\, n.; pl. {Calves}. [OE. calf, kelf, AS. cealf; akin
to D. kalf, G. kalb, Icel. k[=a]lfr, Sw. kalf, Dan. kalv,
Goth. kalb[=o]; cf. Skr. garbha fetus, young, Gr. ?????, Skr
grabh to seize, conceive, Ir. colpa, colpach, a calf.
[root]222.]
1. The young of the cow, or of the Bovine family of
quadrupeds. Also, the young of some other mammals, as of
the elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, and whale.
2. Leather made of the skin of the calf; especially, a fine,
light-colored leather used in bookbinding; as, to bind
books in calf.
3. An awkward or silly boy or young man; any silly person; a
dolt. [Colloq.]
Some silly, doting, brainless calf. --Drayton.
4. A small island near a larger; as, the Calf of Man.
5. A small mass of ice set free from the submerged part of a
glacier or berg, and rising to the surface. --Kane.
6. [Cf. Icel. k[=a]lfi.] The fleshy hinder part of the leg
below the knee.
{Calf's-foot jelly}, jelly made from the feet of calves. The
gelatinous matter of the feet is extracted by boiling, and
is flavored with sugar, essences, etc.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
calf
n 1: young of domestic cattle
2: the muscular back part of the shank [syn: {sura}]
3: fine leather from the skin of a calf [syn: {calfskin}]
4: young of various large placental mammals e.g. whale or
giraffe or elephant or buffalo
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