calve

calve — verb

1. A female cow giving birth to its baby — when the young cow, called a calf, is de

1.動詞不及物B2
釋義

A female cow giving birth to its baby — when the young cow, called a calf, is delivered by its mother. The word is also used for other large mammals such as elephants, whales, and giraffes.

例句

The farmer helped the old cow calve safely in the barn at night.

intransitive: cow + calve with no object

The herd calves in early spring when fresh grass appears and weather is mild.

third-person singular: the herd calves

同義詞
  • give birth

    General term for all mammals; much more common and broader in scope than 'calve'

  • drop a calf

    Informal expression used by farmers; less common than 'calve' in general writing

文法句型

calve (no object)

用法筆記

Used exclusively for cows and a few large mammals such as elephants, whales, and giraffes. Unlike the general verb 'give birth,' 'calve' is not used for humans or small domestic animals like dogs or cats.

常見錯誤

❌Our dog calved last week.
✅Our dog gave birth last week.
💡'calve' is only used for cows and a few large mammals, not for dogs or cats.
❌She calved a healthy baby boy.
✅She gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
💡'calve' is never used for humans.