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lave

1
[ leyv ]
/ leɪv /
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See synonyms for: lave / laving 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.
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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, adjectiveun·lav·ing, adjective

Other definitions for lave (2 of 3)

lave2
[ leyv ]
/ leɪv /

noun Scot.
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 ]
/ leɪv /

adjective British.
(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. 2023

How to use lave in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lave

lave
/ (leɪv) /

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
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