reave

¹ American  

[reev] / riv /

verb (used with object)

Archaic.

reaved, reft, reaving

1. to take away by or as by force; plunder; rob.

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reave ² American  

[reev] / riv /

verb (used with or without object)

reaved, reft, reaving

1. Archaic. to rend; break; tear.

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reave ¹ British  

/ riːv /

verb

1. to carry off (property, prisoners, etc) by force

2. to deprive; strip See also reive

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reave ² British  

/ riːv /

verb

1. archaic to break or tear (something) apart; cleave

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Etymology

Origin of reave¹

before 900; Middle English reven, Old English rēafian; cognate with German rauben, Dutch roven to rob

Origin of reave²

1175–1225; Middle English; apparently special use of reave ¹ (by association with rive )

Example Sentences

While they were in Europe, Promoter Montgomery began to reave out stock at $8 to $12 a share.

From Time Magazine Archive

Till at the door the bailiff rattles And rude men reave me of my chattels, I shall prolong these wordy battles, And may the just cause prove the fortunate; Phœbus defend my nib!

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, April 29, 1914 by Various

Well, the folks elected me a hog reave, jist to poke fun at me, and Mr. Jehiel, a bean pole of a lawyer, was at the bottom of it.

From The Clockmaker — or, the Sayings and Doings of Samuel Slick, of Slickville by Haliburton, Thomas Chandler

Not forty Van Hupfeldts nor a legion of ghosts should reave him of those telling pieces of evidence!

From The Late Tenant by Tracy, Louis

Again at the end he says:   "Delay not, Hubert, my orisons are ended,   Begin I pray thee, reave me of my sight."

From The Man Shakespeare by Harris, Frank