cleave
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cleave 1
(klēv)v. cleft (klĕft) or cleaved or clove (klōv), cleft or cleaved or clo·ven (klō′vən), cleav·ing, cleaves
v.tr.
1. To split with a sharp instrument. See Synonyms at tear1.
2. To make or accomplish by or as if by cutting: cleave a path through the ice.
3. To pierce or penetrate: The wings cleaved the foggy air.
4. Chemistry To split (a complex molecule) into simpler molecules.
v.intr.
1. To split or be capable or splitting, especially along a natural line of division: Certain brittle woods cleave easily.
2. To penetrate or pass through something, such as water or air.
cleav′a·ble adj.
cleave 2
(klēv)intr.v. cleaved, cleav·ing, cleaves
1. To adhere, cling, or stick fast.
2. To be faithful: cleave to one's principles.
[Middle English cleven, from Old English cleofian.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
cleave
(kliːv)vb, cleaves, cleaving, cleft, cleaved, clove, cleft, cleaved or cloven
1. to split or cause to split, esp along a natural weakness
2. (tr) to make by or as if by cutting: to cleave a path.
3. (when: intr, foll by through) to penetrate or traverse
[Old English clēofan; related to Old Norse kljūfa, Old High German klioban, Latin glūbere to peel]
ˈcleavable adj
ˌcleavaˈbility, ˈcleavableness n
cleave
(kliːv)vb
(foll by: to) to cling or adhere
[Old English cleofian; related to Old High German klebēn to stick]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cleave1
(kliv)v.i. cleaved (Archaic) clave; cleaved; cleav•ing.
1. to adhere closely; cling (usu. fol. by to).
2. to remain faithful: to cleave to one's principles.
[before 900; Middle English cleven, Old English cleofian, c. Old Saxon clibon, Old High German klebēn]
cleav′ing•ly, adv.
cleave2
(kliv)v. cleft cleaved clove, cleft cleaved clo•ven, cleav•ing. v.t.
1. to split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, esp. along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood.
2. to make by or as if by cutting: to cleave a path through the wilderness.
3. to penetrate or pass through (air, water, etc.): The bow of the boat cleaved the water cleanly.
4. to cut off; sever: to cleave a branch from a tree.
v.i. 5. to part or split, esp. along a natural line of division.
6. to penetrate or advance by or as if by cutting (usu. fol. by through).
[before 950; Middle English cleven, Old English clēofan, c. Old High German klioban, Old Norse kljūfa]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
cleave
Past participle: cleft/cleaved/cloven
Gerund: cleaving
| Imperative |
|---|
| cleave |
| cleave |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | cleave - separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument; "cleave the bone" maul - split (wood) with a maul and wedges laminate - split (wood) into thin sheets tear - to separate or be separated by force; "planks were in danger of being torn from the crossbars" cleave - make by cutting into; "The water is going to cleave a channel into the rock" |
| 2. | cleave - make by cutting into; "The water is going to cleave a channel into the rock" | |
| 3. |  cleave - come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation; "The dress clings to her body"; "The label stuck to the box"; "The sushi rice grains cohere"adjoin, contact, touch, meet - be in direct physical contact with; make contact; "The two buildings touch"; "Their hands touched"; "The wire must not contact the metal cover"; "The surfaces contact at this point" mold - fit tightly, follow the contours of; "The dress molds her beautiful figure" conglutinate - stick together; "the edges of the wound conglutinated" agglutinate - clump together; as of bacteria, red blood cells, etc. bind, bond, hold fast, stick to, stick, adhere - stick to firmly; "Will this wallpaper adhere to the wall?" stick - fasten with an adhesive material like glue; "stick the poster onto the wall" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
cleave
1verb split, open, divide, crack, slice, rend, sever, part, hew, tear asunder, sunder The axe had cleaved open the back of his skull.
cleave
2 verbcleave to stick to, stand by, cling to, hold to, be devoted to, adhere to, be attached to, abide by, be true to She teaches the principles she has cleaved to for more than 40 years.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
cleave 1
verbcleave 2
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَشُقُّ، يَفْلَقُيَلْتَصِق بِ
lepitlnout krozštípnoutštípat
hænge fastklæbekløvespalte
kljúfa; skiptaloîa viî; halda fast viî
sadalītsašķeltsašķelties
štiepať
cleave
1 [kliːv] (clove (cleft (pt)) (cloven) (cleft (pp))) VT (= split) → partir; [+ water] → surcarcleave
2 [kliːv] VI to cleave to → adherirse a, no separarse deto cleave together → ser inseparables
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
cleave
1 pret <clove or cleft or cleaved>, ptp <cleft or cloven>vt → spalten; to cleave in two → in zwei Teile spalten; to cleave a way through something → sich (dat) → einen Weg durch etw bahnen
vi
to cleave through the waves → die Wellen durchschneiden
(Biol) → sich spalten
cleave
2vi pret <cleaved or clave>, ptp <cleaved> (= adhere) → festhalten (→ to an +dat), → beharren (→ to auf +dat); through all the difficulties they cleaved fast to each other (liter) → durch alle Schwierigkeiten hindurch hielten sie fest zusammen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
cleave
[kliːv] (cleave or cleft or clove (pt) (cleaved or cleft or cloven (pp))) vt (liter) → spaccarecleave to vi + prep (stick to) → aderire a (fig) → restare abbarbicato/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
cleave1
(kliːv) – past tense cleft (kleft) cleaved, ~clove (klouv) : past participles cleft, ~cloven (ˈklouvn) – verb to split or divide.
ˈcleavage (-vidʒ) noun1. the act of splitting; a split.
2. the split between a woman's breasts.
ˈcleaver noun a butcher's knife.
cloven hoof, cleft hoof a hoof, like those of cows, sheep etc, which has a split up the centre.
cleave2
(kliːv) – past tense past participle d: cleave to to stick to.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.