cleave

cleave
cleave
There are two words, both from Old English, with this spelling. One is a mostly literary word for ‘cut’, and has inflected forms (past) cleaved, clove, or cleft, and (past participle) cleaved or cloven. The adjective is cloven in cloven-footed and cloven hoof, and cleft in cleft palate and in a cleft stick. It is chiefly in these fixed expressions that the word is generally known. The other word means ‘to stick, adhere’, and inflects more regularly (past) cleaved, (past participle) cleaved. It occurs chiefly in the Authorized Version of the Bible (where a past form clave is also found):

• The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth —Job 29:10.


Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • Cleave — (kl[=e]v), v. i. [imp. {Cleaved} (kl[=e]vd), {Clave} (kl[=a]v, Obs.); p. p. {Cleaved}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Cleaving}.] [OE. cleovien, clivien, cliven, AS. cleofian, clifian; akin to OS. klib[=o]n, G. kleben, LG. kliven, D. kleven, Dan. kl[ae]be, Sw …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cleave — [kli:v] v past tense cleaved , clove [kləuv US klouv] , or cleft [kleft] past participle cleaved , past tense cloven [ˈkləuvən US ˈklou ] or cleft [: Old English; Origin: cleofan. cleave to Old English clifian] …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Cleave — Cleave, v. i. To part; to open; to crack; to separate; as parts of bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost. [1913 Webster] The Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst. Zech. xiv. 4. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cleave — cleave·land·ite; un·cleave; cleave; …   English syllables

  • cleave — Ⅰ. cleave [1] ► VERB (past clove or cleft or cleaved; past part. cloven or cleft or cleaved) 1) split or sever along a natural grain or line. 2) divide; split …   English terms dictionary

  • Cleave — (kl[=e]v), v. t. [imp. {Cleft} (kl[e^]ft), {Clave} (kl[=a]v, Obs.), {Clove} (kl[=o]v, Obsolescent); p. p. {Cleft}, {Cleaved} (kl[=e]vd) or {Cloven} (kl[=o] v n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Cleaving}.] [OE. cleoven, cleven, AS. cle[ o]fan; akin to OS.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cleave — [ kliv ] verb transitive LITERARY to cut or break something into two parts with a lot of force cleave ,to phrasal verb transitive 1. ) to stay very close to someone, or to stay close together a ) to stick firmly to something 2. ) to keep… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • cleave — cling, *stick, adhere, cohere Analogous words: *fasten, attach, fix, affix: unite, *join, associate, link, combine, conjoin Antonyms: part Contrasted words: *separate, divorce, divide, sever, sunder: *detach …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • cleave — [v1] divide, split carve, chop, crack, cut, dissect, dissever, disunite, divorce, hack, hew, open, part, pierce, rend, rip, rive, separate, sever, slice, stab, sunder, tear asunder, whack; concepts 98,137,176 Ant. join, meld, unite cleave [v2]… …   New thesaurus

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