Phrase guide

golden calf

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Mid-Atlantic, US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A golden image of a calf, made by Aaron and worshipped by the Israelites.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: Old Testament

Topics: biblical, lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Money as an end in itself; Mammon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any object of unworthy worship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

(Old Testament) an idol made by Aaron for the Israelites to worship; destroyed by Moses; it is now used to refer to anything worshipped undeservedly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: idol, graven image, god

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عِجْل الذَّهَب (ʕijl aḏ-ḏahab) — A golden image of a calf
  • Biblical Hebrew: עֵגֶל הַזָּהָב (ʿēḡel hazzāhāḇ) — A golden image of a calf
  • Chinese Cantonese: 金牛犢 /金牛犊 (gam1 ngau4 duk6) — A golden image of a calf
  • Chinese Mandarin: 金牛犢 /金牛犊 (jīnniúdú) — A golden image of a calf
  • Esperanto: ora bovido — A golden image of a calf
  • Finnish: kultainen vasikka — A golden image of a calf
  • French: veau d'or — A golden image of a calf
  • German: goldenes Kalb — A golden image of a calf
  • Ancient Greek: χρῡσός μόσχος (khrūsós móskhos) — A golden image of a calf
  • Hindi: सोने का बछड़ा (sone kā bachṛā) — A golden image of a calf
  • Japanese: 金の子牛 (kin no koushi) — A golden image of a calf
  • Korean: 금송아지 (geumsong'aji) — A golden image of a calf
  • Latin: vitulus aureus — A golden image of a calf
  • Marathi: सोनेरी वासरू (sonerī vāsrū) — A golden image of a calf
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gullkalv — A golden image of a calf
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: gullkalv — A golden image of a calf
  • Polish: złoty cielec — A golden image of a calf
  • Russian: золото́й теле́ц (zolotój teléc) — A golden image of a calf
  • Spanish: becerro de oro — A golden image of a calf
  • Swedish: guldkalv — A golden image of a calf
  • Finnish: mammona — Money
  • French: veau d'or — Money
  • Polish: złoty cielec — Money
  • Russian: золото́й теле́ц (zolotój teléc) — Money