cleave1
v.
(past clove or cleft or cleaved; past part. cloven or cleft or cleaved)
- split or sever along a natural grain or line.
▸split (a molecule) by breaking a particular chemical bond.
▸Biology (of a cell) divide.
- move through (something) forcefully:
they watched a coot cleave the smooth water.
Derivative
Etymology
OE clēofan, of Gmc origin.
cleave2
v.
(
cleave to)
literary - stick fast to.
- adhere strongly to or become very involved with:
most schools cleave strongly to received policy.
Etymology
OE cleofian, clifian, clīfan, of W. Gmc origin; rel. to clay and climb.