subs. (old).—1. A monster.
1609. SHAKESPEARE, Tempest, ii. 2. How, now, MOON-CALF? how does thine ague.
1620. JONSON, News from the New World. Print. O, ay, MOON-CALVES! what monster is that, I pray you? 2 Her. Monster! none at all, a very familiar thing, like our fool here on earth.
2. (old).—A false conception.
1598. FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Mola, … Also a lump of flesh in women’s bellies which they call a tympanie or a MOONE CALFE.
1601. HOLLAND, Pliny, viii. ch. 15. A false conception, called MOLA, i.e., a MOONECALFE.
1611. COTGRAVE, Dictionarie. A MOONECALFE, a hard swelling or shapelesse peece of flesh in the wombe which makes women beleeve they are with child when they are not.
3. (colloquial).—A blockhead. For synonyms, see BUFFLE and CABBAGE-HEAD. Also as adj. MOONCALFY.
1693. DRYDEN, Juvenal, vi. 798.
| The spotted MOON-CALF gapes, and staring on, | |
| Sees his own bus’ness by another done. |
1858. DICKENS, Great Expectations, vii. 29–30. ‘And Lor-a-mussy me!’ cried my sister, casting off her bonnet in sudden desperation, ‘here I stand talking to mere MOONCALFS, with Uncle Pumblechook waiting.’
1891. R. L. STEVENSON, Kidnapped, p. 44. ‘No,’ said the poor MOON-CALF, changing his tune at once.
1892. MILLIKEN, ’Arry Ballads, 4. Look at the MOON-CALFY mash.
