eave

noun \ ˈēv \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Definition of eave

1 : the lower border of a roof that overhangs the wall —usually used in plural

2 : a projecting edge (as of a hill) —usually used in plural

Recent Examples of eave from the Web

From shadow under the eave, cuts and spreads vermillion across the barn's weathered crust, dots a highlight with fine point in the eye of an owl.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "The Poems Of Aaron Caycedo-Kimura: Honoring Ones Parents," 13 June 2018
Move sun-shy potted plants like fuchsia and orchid cactus (Epiphyllum) under the shade of a leafy tree or an east-facing eave.

— nan sterman, latimes.com, "For SoCal gardeners, a June gloom tipsheet," 31 May 2018
Debi Klein of the Backyard Naturalist in Olney, Md., said the best way to safeguard a feeder is to position it 10 feet from any feature — a tree, an eave, a fence — that a squirrel can jump from.

— john kelly, Washington Post, "Meet the D.C. man who wrote the book on defeating birdseed-stealing squirrels," 15 Apr. 2018
The branch falls quickly, wood cracking beneath it, picking up speed, until one end catches firmly on the overhanging eave and the other slows to a halt, caught by the soft hands of viny branches.

— james lynch, Popular Mechanics, "After the Storm," 9 Feb. 2018
Most were sucking on filthy icicles that had fallen from the eave of a greenhouse.

— alice gregory, New York Times, "Running Free in Germany’s Outdoor Preschools," 18 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.