calve

About 0.12 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To give birth to a calf.

   The farmer could tell Bessie was about to calve.

2. verb To assist in a cow’s giving birth to a calf.

   The farmer calved Bessie for almost two hours.

3. verb To give birth to (a calf).
4. verb To shed a large piece.

   The glacier was starting to calve even as we watched.

5. verb To break off.

   The sea was dangerous because of icebergs calving off the nearby glacier.

6. verb To shed (a large piece); to set loose (a mass of ice).

   The glacier was starting to calve an iceberg even as we watched.

Similar words

break up have young low veal fresh deacon kick off wrestle colt chestfeed

Often followed by

in and at off from into on was every

Word family

calved calves calving