lave

1
[ leyv ]
See synonyms for lave on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),laved, lav·ing.
  1. to wash; bathe.

  2. (of a river, sea, etc.) to flow along, against, or past; wash.

  1. Obsolete. to ladle; pour or dip with a ladle.

verb (used without object),laved, lav·ing.
  1. Archaic. to bathe.

Origin of lave

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English laven “to wash, bathe, moisten,” partly from Old French laver, from Latin lavāre “to wash, bathe”; partly from Old English lafian “to pour water on, wash,” gelafian “to wash, lave, refresh,” itself perhaps from Latin lavāre

Other words from lave

  • un·laved, adjective
  • un·lav·ing, adjective

Other definitions for lave (2 of 3)

lave2
[ leyv ]

nounScot.
  1. the remainder; the rest.

Origin of lave

2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English love, lave, loave, Old English lāf “remnant, remains”; cognate with Old High German leiba, Old Norse leif, Gothic laiba; akin to leave1

Other definitions for lave (3 of 3)

lave3
[ leyv ]

adjectiveBritish.
  1. (of ears) large and drooping.

Origin of lave

3
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; special use of lave1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for lave

lave

/ (leɪv) /


verb
  1. an archaic word for wash

Origin of lave

1
Old English lafian, perhaps from Latin lavāre to wash

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012