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Added 10 October 2026

calve

/kɑːv/ verb

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about calve at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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).

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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