Mooncalf

//ˈmuːnkɑːf// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An abnormal mass within the uterus; a false conception. archaic

    "Thou art very Trinculo indeed! How camest thou to be the siege of this moon-calf? Can he vent Trinculos?"

  2. 2
    A poorly conceived idea or plan.
  3. 3
    A dreamer, someone absent-minded or distracted; a fool, simpleton.

    "“[…] you’re a jobbernowl and a doodle, a maundering mooncalf and a blockheaded numps, a gaby and a loon; you’re a Hatter!” I shrieked the last epithet."

Synonyms

All synonyms
assbuffoonclowndoodlefoolignoramus

Example

More examples

"Thou art very Trinculo indeed! How camest thou to be the siege of this moon-calf? Can he vent Trinculos?"

Etymology

From moon + calf, after a superstition that the moon caused abnormal fetal development.

Related phrases

absent minded

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.