CLEAVE Definition Meaning - Merriam-Webster In the case of cleave the two meanings belong to two etymologically distinct words One cleave means “to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly,” as in “a family that cleaves to tradition”; it comes from the Old English verb clifian, meaning “to adhere ”
Cleave - definition of cleave by The Free Dictionary cleave 1 (kliv) v i cleaved (Archaic) clave; cleaved; cleav•ing 1 to adhere closely; cling (usu fol by to) 2 to remain faithful: to cleave to one's principles
CLEAVE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary To cleave something means to split or divide it into two separate parts, often violently They just cleave the stone along the cracks [VERB noun] If someone cleaves to something or to someone else, they begin or continue to have strong feelings of loyalty towards them She has cleaved to these principles all her life [VERB + to]
cleave - definition and meaning - Wordnik To part or divide by force; rend apart; split or rive; separate or sunder into parts, or (figuratively) seem to do so: as, to cleave wood; to cleave a rock To produce or effect by cleavage or clearance; make a way for by force; hew out: as, to cleave a path through a wilderness To part or open naturally Synonyms Split, Rip, etc See rend
CLEAVE Definition Meaning | Dictionary. com Cleave, a verb, has two very different meanings It can describe cutting or splitting something apart with a sharp instrument, or — oddly enough — it can describe sticking to something like glue To cleave or not to cleave, that is the question
Cleave - Definition, Meaning Synonyms | Vocabulary. com Cleave can refer to being in close contact, to staying really, really close to someone or something: "If you are walking in the pitch-black woods without a flashlight, you want to cleave to the person in front of you "
Cleave Definition Meaning | Britannica Dictionary The wood is old and cleaves [= splits] easily The bow of the ship cleaved the water The darkness was cleft by the lantern's beam The ship's bow cleaved through the water The country was cleaved [= divided] in two by civil war He continued to cleave to the beliefs of his childhood