calve
verb
\ ˈkav
, ˈkäv\
, ˈkäv\
calved;
calving
Definition of calve
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
Examples of calve in a Sentence
The cow calved in the barn.
Recent Examples on the Web
But as startling as the crisp and, yes, dramatic images may be, a sense of slight monotony sometimes creeps in after so many shots of ice, calving glaciers, heaving waves, sea foam, rain, snow, fog, mist, etc. — Michael Sullivan, Houston Chronicle, "Documentary ‘Aquarela’ is a beautifully terrifying immersion," 29 Aug. 2019 The area is home to calving caribou, polar bears and other wildlife. — New York Times, "Arctic Refuge Likely Won’t Be Surveyed Before Oil Lease Sales," 8 July 2019 By the season’s end, the AP reports, about 440 billion tons (400 billion metric tons) of ice will have melted or calved off Greenland’s giant ice sheet. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Greenland has serious problems. A Trump deal isn’t one of them.," 21 Aug. 2019 By the end of the summer, about 440 billion tons of ice — maybe more — will have melted or calved off Greenland’s giant ice sheet, scientists estimate. — Seth Borenstein, The Denver Post, "Earth’s future is being written in fast-melting Greenland," 21 Aug. 2019 By season’s end, about 440 billion tons of ice — maybe more — will have melted or calved off Greenland’s giant ice sheet, experts estimate. — Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, "Greenland’s glaciers are melting. It’s as if Earth’s refrigerator door were left open," 20 Aug. 2019 By the end of the summer, about 440 billion tons (400 billion metric tons) of ice — maybe more — will have melted or calved off Greenland’s giant ice sheet, scientists estimate. — Seth Borenstein, BostonGlobe.com, "Earth’s future is being written in fast-melting Greenland," 20 Aug. 2019 Unstable tidewater glaciers such as the one the team measured flow into the sea relatively quickly and calve, or spit off icebergs, often. — Jennifer Leman, Scientific American, "Alarming Sonar Results Show Glaciers May Be Melting Faster Than We Expected," 26 July 2019 The elephant calves bridled at cow’s milk, but Ms. Sheldrick — after successfully devising a formula for baby rhinos — eventually landed on an ambrosia-like mixture that incorporated coconut oil. — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, "Daphne Sheldrick, who created an elephant orphanage in Kenya, dies at 83," 15 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'calve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for calve
calve
verb
English Language Learners Definition of calve
of a cow
: to give birth to a calf
See the full definition for calve in the English Language Learners Dictionary
calve
verb
\ ˈkav
, ˈkäv\
, ˈkäv\
calved;
calving
Kids Definition of calve
: to give birth to a calf
The cow calved in the barn.