calve
verb
ˈkav 
ˈkäv
calved; calving
intransitive verb
1
: to give birth to a calf
also : to produce offspring
2
of an ice mass : to separate or break so that a part becomes detached
transitive verb
1
: to produce by birth
2
of an ice mass : to let become detached
Example Sentences
The cow calved in the barn.
Recent Examples on the Web There was still fair snow on the ground at the time when the cows normally move across the Richardson Highway and trek into the edge of the Talkeetna Mountains to calve. 
John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Aug. 2022 Elk, bison and moose also calve during this period, so give the parents and their offspring a wide berth. Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 22 June 2022 The fjords of Prince Williams Sound echo like thunder as glaciers calve off into the sea at an ever increasing rate. Todd Nelson, Star Tribune, 5 Apr. 2021 People should also remember that Portage Glacier can calve at any moment, buckling and crushing frozen lake ice, as captured in dramatic videos over the past couple years. Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Mar. 2021 Changes in feeding influence reproduction, and anything that harms whales' ability to calve ultimately jeopardizes survival. Elizabeth Grossman, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2010 The giant pancake of Malaspina Glacier does not calve into the ocean. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Feb. 2021 As the glacier flows out to sea, icebergs calve off the ocean-facing end of the ice shelf. Sarah Gibbens, Environment, 28 Dec. 2020 Huge masses of ice spectacularly calve from its face with thunderous roars. Melissa Findley, National Geographic, 20 Nov. 2020 See More
John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Aug. 2022 Elk, bison and moose also calve during this period, so give the parents and their offspring a wide berth. Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 22 June 2022 The fjords of Prince Williams Sound echo like thunder as glaciers calve off into the sea at an ever increasing rate. Todd Nelson, Star Tribune, 5 Apr. 2021 People should also remember that Portage Glacier can calve at any moment, buckling and crushing frozen lake ice, as captured in dramatic videos over the past couple years. Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Mar. 2021 Changes in feeding influence reproduction, and anything that harms whales' ability to calve ultimately jeopardizes survival. Elizabeth Grossman, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2010 The giant pancake of Malaspina Glacier does not calve into the ocean. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Feb. 2021 As the glacier flows out to sea, icebergs calve off the ocean-facing end of the ice shelf. Sarah Gibbens, Environment, 28 Dec. 2020 Huge masses of ice spectacularly calve from its face with thunderous roars. Melissa Findley, National Geographic, 20 Nov. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English calven, going back to Old English (Anglian) *calfian, (West Saxon) cealfian, derivative of cælf, cealf calf entry 1
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Kids Definition
calve
verb
ˈkav
ˈkäv
calved; calving
: to give birth to a calf
The cow calved in the barn.
calve
verb
as in to sire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- sire
- pup
- litter
- whelp
- kitten
- father
- breed
- beget
- kid
- generate
- spawn
- reproduce
- labor
- multiply
- propagate
- mother
- birth
- kindle
- get
- produce
- have
- bear
- deliver
- drop
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- abort
- lose
- miscarry