reeve

¹ American  

[reev] / riv /

noun

Government.

1. an administrative officer of a town or district.

2. British. an overseer or superintendent of workers, tenants, or an estate.

3. British. (formerly) a person of high rank representing the crown.

4. Canadian. the presiding officer of a village or town council.

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reeve ² American  

[reev] / riv /

verb (used with object)

Nautical.

rove, reeved, roven, reeved, reeving

1. to pass (a rope or the like) through a hole, ring, or the like.

2. to fasten by placing through or around something.

3. to pass a rope through (the swallow of a block).

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reeve ³ American  

[reev] / riv /

noun

1. the female of the ruff, Philomachus pugnax.

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reeve ¹ British  

/ riːv /

noun

1. English history the local representative of the king in a shire (under the ealdorman) until the early 11th century Compare sheriff

2. (in medieval England) a manorial steward who supervised the daily affairs of the manor: often a villein elected by his fellows

3. canadian government (in certain provinces) a president of a local council, esp in a rural area

4. (formerly) a minor local official in any of several parts of England and the US

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reeve ² British  

/ riːv /

verb

1. to pass (a rope or cable) through an eye or other narrow opening

2. to fasten by passing through or around something

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reeve ³ British  

/ riːv /

noun

1. the female of the ruff (the bird)

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Etymology

Origin of reeve¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English (i)reve, refe, reive “royal administrative or judicial officer,” Old English gerēfa “high royal offiicial, fiscal officer, prefect”; further origin uncertain; sheriff

Origin of reeve²

First recorded in 1600–10; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Dutch reven “to reef”; reef ²

Origin of reeve³

First recorded in 1625–35; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Dave Carlson, the reeve of Emerson-Franklin, said instances of people crossing the border outside the checkpoint have dropped significantly in recent years.

From Washington Times • Jan. 20, 2022

Other states followed suit, and as Judge Vanderbilt says, the "judges campaigned for judicial office in the hustings with the other candidates of the political parties from sheriff to hog reeve."

From Time Magazine Archive

I was just about to emerge from the woods and run toward our hut when I caught sight of the bailiff, Roger Kinsworthy, and the reeve, Odo Langland.

From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi

I could fed him standing there watching me as I tried to reeve the lengths, but I knew they weren’t fitting together.

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor

Before the ealdorman of the shire, and the gerefa or reeve, was Egwina taken.

From A Maid at King Alfred?s Court by Madison, Lucy Foster

Related Words

• administrator
• attendant
• curator
• waiter