calf
    n 1: young of domestic cattle
    2: the muscular back part of the shank [syn: calf, sura]
    3: fine leather from the skin of a calf [syn: calf,
       calfskin]
    4: young of various large placental mammals e.g. whale or
       giraffe or elephant or buffalo

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.
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   2. Leather made of the skin of the calf; especially, a fine,
      light-colored leather used in bookbinding; as, to bind
      books in calf.
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   3. An awkward or silly boy or young man; any silly person; a
      dolt. [Colloq.]
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            Some silly, doting, brainless calf.   --Drayton.
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   4. A small island near a larger; as, the Calf of Man.
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   5. A small mass of ice set free from the submerged part of a
      glacier or berg, and rising to the surface. --Kane.
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   6. [Cf. Icel. k[=a]lfi.] The fleshy hinder part of the leg
      below the knee.
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   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.
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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.).