reeve

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈrēv 

1

: a local administrative agent of an Anglo-Saxon king

2

: a medieval English manor officer responsible chiefly for overseeing the discharge of feudal obligations

3

a

: the council president in some Canadian municipalities

b

: a local official charged with enforcement of specific regulations

deer reeve

reeve

2 of 3

verb

rove ˈrōv  or reeved; reeving

transitive verb

1

: to pass (something, such as a rope) through a hole or opening

2

: to fasten by passing through a hole or around something

3

: to pass a rope through

intransitive verb

of a rope : to pass through a block or similar device

reeve

3 of 3

noun (2)

: the female of the ruff (sandpiper)

Examples of reeve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Dave Carlson, the reeve of Emerson-Franklin, said instances of people crossing the border outside the checkpoint have dropped significantly in recent years. — CBS News, 21 Jan. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English reve, from Old English gerēfa, from ge- (associative prefix) + -rēfa (akin to Old English -rōf number, Old High German ruova) — more at co-

Verb

origin unknown

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1610, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reeve

• breve
• cleave
• cleeve
• cleve
• eave
• eve
• grieve
• heave
• leave
• lieve
• neve
• sheave

Kids Definition

reeve

noun

ˈrēv

: an English manor officer of the Middle Ages