lave

[leyv]

See more synonyms for lave on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), laved, lav·ing.

to wash; bathe.
(of a river, sea, etc.) to flow along, against, or past; wash.
Obsolete. to ladle; pour or dip with a ladle.

verb (used without object), laved, lav·ing.

Archaic. to bathe.

Origin of lave

before 900; Middle English laven, partly < Old French laver < Latin lavāre to wash; partly representing Old English lafian to pour water on, wash, itself perhaps < Latin lavāre

Related formsun·laved, adjectiveun·lav·ing, adjective

lave

[leyv]

noun Scot.

the remainder; the rest.

Origin of lave

before 1000; Middle English (Scots); Old English lāf; cognate with Old High German leiba, Old Norse leif, Gothic laiba; akin to leave¹

lave

[leyv]

adjective British.

(of ears) large and drooping.

Origin of lave

1350–1400; Middle English; special use of lave¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for lave

bathe, float, bath, sponge, slosh, imbue, soak, swab, cleanse, douse, wet, bubble, soap, shine, moisten, hose, scrub, launder, scour, lap

Examples from the Web for lave

Historical Examples of lave

I lave that to whoever has it, Honor: 'tis enough for me, I see what you do—and that's what I go by.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
Plase your honour, I being the lady, expicted I'd get lave to swear first.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
Burn the steak he will if I lave him with it, and Moike knows the sort of a bed he makes.
The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys
Gulielma Zollinger
I want him to get into the state in which he can look at her an' lave her alone!
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine
The door's open, and you've my lave; may be we 'll do as well without you, as we're like to do with you.
The Macdermots of Ballycloran
Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for lave

lave

verb

an archaic word for wash

Word Origin for lave

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

Word Origin and History for lave

c.1200, from Old English gelafian "wash by pouring, pour (water)," possibly an early English or West Germanic borrowing (cf. Dutch laven, German laben) of Latin lavare "to wash," or its Old French descendant, laver. Latin lavare is from PIE *leu(e)- "to wash" (cf. Latin luere "to wash," Greek louein "to wash, bathe," Old Irish loathar "basin," Breton laouer "trough," Old English leaþor "lather").