reave

¹ American  

[reev] / riv /

verb (used with object)

Archaic.

reaved, reft, reaving

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

---

reave ² American  

[reev] / riv /

verb (used with or without object)

reaved, reft, reaving

1. Archaic. to rend; break; tear.

---

reave ¹ British  

/ riːv /

verb

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

2. to deprive; strip See also reive

---

reave ² British  

/ riːv /

verb

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

---

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

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

An' may they never learn the gaets, Of ither vile, wanrestfu' pets— To slink thro' slaps, an' reave an' steal At stacks o' pease, or stocks o' kail!

From Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Burns, Robert

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

He cut the pole with some difficulty, his clasp-knife being but a poor substitute for an axe; then he bored a hole at the top to reave the halliards through.

From Jarwin and Cuffy by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)