Calf (anatomy)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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In human anatomy the calf (also calf of the leg) is the back portion of the lower leg (the crus). In terms of muscle systems, the calf corresponds to the posterior compartment of the leg. Within the posterior compartment, the two largest muscles are known together as the calf muscle and attach to the heel via the Achilles tendon. Several other, smaller muscles attach to the knee, the ankle, and via long tendons to the toes : see Category:Calf muscles.
Etymology and history
Calf and calf of the leg are documented in use in Middle English, respectively, circa 1350 and 1425.
Historically, the absence of calf, meaning a lower leg without a prominent calf muscle, was regarded by some authors as a sign of inferiority: it is well known that monkeys have no calves, and still less do they exist among the lower orders of mammals.
See also
