reave

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To plunder, pillage, rob, pirate, or remove.
  2. To deprive (a person) of something through theft or violence.
verb
  1. To split, tear, break apart.

Pronunciation

/ɹiːv/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-reave.wav

Word forms

reave reaves reaving reaved reft reive rieve

Etymology

From Middle English reven, from Old English rēafian, from Proto-West Germanic *raubōn. Germanic cognates include West Frisian rave, Old English rēaf (“spoils, booty”)), and Old English past participle rofen (“torn, broken”), Norwegian rjuva, German rauben, Danish røve, and Swedish röva. Outside of Germanic, related to Latin rumpō (“to break”), Lithuanian rùpti (“to roughen”), Sanskrit रोपयति (ropayati, “to make suffer”)). See rob and reif.

Related words

Derived words

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