cleave

¹

[ kleev ]

verb (used without object)

, cleaved or (Archaic) clave; cleaved; cleav·ing.

1. to adhere closely; stick; cling (usually followed by to ).
2. to remain faithful (usually followed by to ):

   to cleave to one's principles in spite of persecution.

cleave

²

[ kleev ]

verb (used with object)

, cleft or cleaved or clove, cleft or cleaved or clo·ven, cleav·ing.

1. to split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, especially along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood.

   Synonyms: rive, rend, halve

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.

verb (used without object)

, cleft or cleaved or clove, cleft or cleaved or clo·ven, cleav·ing.

1. to part or split, especially along a natural line of division.
2. to penetrate or advance by or as if by cutting (usually followed by through ).

cleave

¹

/ kliːv /

verb

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. whenintr, foll by through to penetrate or traverse

cleave

²

/ kliːv /

verb

1. intrfoll byto to cling or adhere

Derived Forms

• ˈcleavable, adjective
• ˌcleavaˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• cleav·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cleave¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English cleven, Old English cleofian, clifian, cognate with Old High German klebēn, German kleben

Origin of cleave²

First recorded before 950; Middle English cleven, Old English clēofan, cognate with Old High German klioban, German klieben, Old Norse kljūfa; akin to Greek glýphein “to carve,” Latin glūbere “to peel”

Word History and Origins

Origin of cleave¹

Old English clēofan; related to Old Norse kljūfa, Old High German klioban, Latin glūbere to peel

Origin of cleave²

Old English cleofian; related to Old High German klebēn to stick

Example Sentences

These bacteria produce antibiotic-cleaving enzymes that work as molecular scissors, which are released into and kept inside the periplasmic space.

From Nautilus

Questions immediately arose about what could have caused more than 50 apartments to suddenly cleave away from the rest of the building.

From The Daily Beast

Some limestone is cleaved from the cliff with a pickaxe and burned in a kiln.

From Nautilus

Walter Isaacson’s The Code Breaker cleaves even more closely to scientific laboratories, following the personalities behind the making of CRISPR.

From MIT Technology Review

More recently, universalism has become a dividing line of its own that cleaves through traditional conceptions of political “left” and “right.”

From Eater

Van Cleave maintains that in this day and age, however, Digital Detox Week is "unimplementable."

From The Daily Beast

Were the members of them to receive the truth, and jointly to cleave to it, these societies would thereby perish.

From Project Gutenberg

In Covenanting, there should be made engagements to cleave to new correct views of truth and duty.

From Project Gutenberg

His tongue would cleave to his mouth in a woman's presence, let alone his lying to her.

From Project Gutenberg

She would cleave to the good God Lucifer, and she aspired to be the bride of Asmodeus.

From Project Gutenberg

Lift high the sword, cleave down the haughty warrior, And dip thy spear in blood, thou son of Odin!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• hew
• sunder