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cleave was our Word of the Day on 03/08/2014. Hear the podcast!
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Origin and Etymology of cleave
Middle English clevien, from Old English clifian; akin to Old High German kleben to stick
Synonym Discussion of cleave
cleave
Definition of cleave
cleaved
play \ˈklēvd\ alsocleft
play \ˈkleft\ orclove
play \ˈklōv\;cleaved
alsocleft
orcloven
play \ˈklō-vən\;cleaving
transitive verb
1 : to divide by or as if by a cutting blow : split The blow cleaved the victim's skull.
2 : to separate into distinct parts and especially into groups having divergent views The political party was cleaved by internal bickering.
3 : to subject to chemical cleavage a protein cleaved by an enzyme
intransitive verb
1 : to split especially along the grain The ax easily cleaved the log.
2 : to penetrate or pass through something by or as if by cutting The ship's bow cleaved through the water.
Origin and Etymology of cleave
Middle English cleven, from Old English clēofan; akin to Old Norse kljūfa to split, Latin glubere to peel, Greek glyphein to carve
Synonym Discussion of cleave
CLEAVE Defined for Kids
Definition of cleave for Students
cleaved
orclove
\ˈklōv\;cleaving
: to cling to a person or thing closely The child cleaved to his mother.
Headscratcher for cleave
The two verbs cleave look and sound alike, but have very different meanings. One means “to split apart,” and the other means “to cling to.”
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about cleave
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See words that rhyme with cleave Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cleave Spanish Central: Translation of cleave Nglish: Translation of cleave for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cleave for Arabic speakers
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