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drove

1
[ drohv ]
/ droʊv /
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See synonyms for: drove / droves on Thesaurus.com

verb
simple past tense of drive.
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Other definitions for drove (2 of 2)

drove2
[ drohv ]
/ droʊv /

noun
a number of oxen, sheep, or swine driven in a group; herd; flock.
Usually droves . a large crowd of human beings, especially in motion: They came to Yankee Stadium in droves.
Also called drove chis·el .Masonry. a chisel, from 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) broad at the edge, for dressing stones to an approximately true surface.
verb (used with or without object), droved, drov·ing.
to drive or deal in (cattle) as a drover; herd.
Masonry. to work or smooth (stone) as with a drove.

Origin of drove

2
First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English drāf “that which is driven,” i.e., “herd, flock”; akin to drive

synonym study for drove

1. See flock1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use drove in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for drove (1 of 2)

drove1
/ (drəʊv) /

verb
the past tense of drive

British Dictionary definitions for drove (2 of 2)

drove2
/ (drəʊv) /

noun
a herd of livestock being driven together
(often plural) a moving crowd of people
a narrow irrigation channel
Also called: drove chisel a chisel with a broad edge used for dressing stone
verb
  1. (tr) to drive (a group of livestock), usually for a considerable distance
  2. (intr) to be employed as a drover
to work (a stone surface) with a drove

Word Origin for drove

Old English drāf herd; related to Middle Low German drēfwech cattle pasture; see drive, drift
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
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