Cleave
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cleave¹
- /ˈkliːv/
- [ˈkʰl̥ɪi̯v]
Rhymes with -iːv
Where it comes from
From Middle English cleven, from the Old English strong verb clēofan (“to split, to separate”), from Proto-West Germanic *kleuban, from Proto-Germanic *kleubaną, from Proto-Indo-European *glewbʰ- (“to cut, to slice”).
Doublet of clive. Cognate with Dutch klieven, dialectal German klieben, Swedish klyva, Norwegian Nynorsk kløyva; also Ancient Greek γλύφω (glúphō, “carve”).
verb cleaves · cleaving · cleft · clove · cleaved · clave
- To split or sever something with, or as if with, a sharp instrument. The wings clove the foggy air.
- To break a single crystal (such as a gemstone or semiconductor wafer) along one of its more symmetrical crystallographic planes (often by impact), forming facets on the resulting pieces.
- To make or accomplish by or as if by cutting. The truck clove a path through the ice.
- (chemistry) To split (a complex molecule) into simpler molecules.
- To split. And it came to passe as he had made an ende of speaking all these words, that the ground claue asunder that was vnder them:
- Of a crystal, to split along a natural plane of division.
noun cleaves
- Flat, smooth surface produced by cleavage, or any similar surface produced by similar techniques, as in glass.
- A cut (slash) or a cut location, either naturally or artificially. There are very striking scenes on some of the lesser streams at this portion of their course. The deep gorge of the Lyd is famous. In the "cleaves," or cleft rocky valleys of Lustleigh and of the Tavy, many a long summer day may be spent with delight; and the Erme, which descends by Ivy Bridge, is n
cleave²
- /ˈkliːv/
- [ˈkʰl̥ɪi̯v]
Rhymes with -iːv
Where it comes from
From Middle English cleven, a conflation of two verbs: Old English clifian (from Proto-West Germanic *klibēn, from Proto-Germanic *klibāną) and Old English clīfan (from Proto-West Germanic *klīban, from Proto-Germanic *klībaną), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gleybʰ- (“to stick”). Cognate with Dutch kleven, German kleben (“to stick”).
verb cleaves · cleaving · cleaved
- Followed by to or unto: to adhere, cling, or stick fast to something. And they lift vp their voyce, and wept againe: and Orpah kissed her mother in law, but Ruth claue vnto her.
Cleave³
proper noun Cleaves
- A surname.
- A hamlet in Offwell parish, East Devon district, Devon, England, divided into Upper and Lower Cleave (OS grid ref ST2000).
