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- From moon + calf, after a superstition that the moon caused abnormal fetal developement.
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What does the noun mooncalf mean? There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun mooncalf, three of which are labelled obsolete, and one of which is considered offensive. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. mooncalf has developed meanings and uses in subjects including.
A mooncalf (or moon-calf) is a monstrous birth, the abortive fetus of a cow or other farm animal. The term was occasionally applied to an abortive human fetus.
Feb 20, 2019 · moon-calf. (n.) also mooncalf, "abortive, shapeless, fleshy mass," 1560s, attributed to the influence of the moon; from moon (n.) + calf (n.1). In later 16c., "deformed creature, monster;" from 1620s as "congenital idiot." also from 1560s.
A congenitally deformed person. ETYMOLOGY: From the earlier belief that a misshapen birth was a result of the effects of the moon. Earliest documented use: 1565. USAGE: “I’ll have to stand about on the sidelines, leaning on my crutches like a poor, pathetic mooncalf.”.
Noun. mooncalf ( pl. mooncalves) ( now rare) An abnormal mass within the uterus; a false conception. ( from 16th c.) 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 2 scene 2. Thou art very Trinculo indeed!
Nov 4, 2009 · In a tradition of uncovering unkind words for people, today's word of the day is mooncalf, meaning a fool or a freak. It formerly was a name for an unformed embryo, said to have been created by the influence of the moon.
Q From John McGinnis: In reading John Updike’s review of the new Sinclair Lewis biography in the current issue of the New Yorker, I came across the word mooncalf. The online Merriam-Webster dictionary offers a terse definition, ‘a foolish or absentminded person,’ and dates the word to 1614.
