Lave is a simple, monosyllabic word that magically makes the mundane act of washing poetic. Shakespeare used it in The Taming of the Shrew when Gremio assured the father of his beloved Bianca that she would have "basins and ewers to lave her dainty hands." And in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop, Nell "laved her hands and face, and cooled her feet before setting forth to walk again." The poetry of lave is also heard when describing water washing against the shore, or even the pouring of water. Before washing our hands of lave, we'll tell you that it comes from the same root as our word lavatory: the Latin verb lavare, meaning "to wash."
Verb
the cold water from the stream gently laved her burned fingers
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
To Eastward San Diego’s heights Stretch downward to the bay
Which coyly laves her with the waves
Wherein the dolphins play.—San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English (northern dialect), from Old English lāf; akin to Old English belīfan to remain — more at leave
Verb
Middle English, from Old English lafian, from Latin lavare
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
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