CLEAVE (cleft, clove, cloven)
Dictionary entry overview: What does cleave mean?
• CLEAVE (verb)
The verb CLEAVE has 3 senses:
1. separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument
2. make by cutting into
3. come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
Familiarity information: CLEAVE used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• CLEAVE (verb)
Meaning:
Separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
cleave; rive; split
Context example:
cleave the bone
Hypernyms (to "cleave" is one way to...):
tear (to separate or be separated by force)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cleave"):
maul (split (wood) with a maul and wedges)
laminate (split (wood) into thin sheets)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Make by cutting into
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Context example:
The water is going to cleave a channel into the rock
Hypernyms (to "cleave" is one way to...):
create; make (make or cause to be or to become)
"Cleave" entails doing...:
cut (separate with or as if with an instrument)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
cling; cohere; adhere; cleave; stick
Context examples:
The dress clings to her body / The label stuck to the box / The sushi rice grains cohere
Hypernyms (to "cleave" is one way to...):
adjoin; contact; meet; touch (be in direct physical contact with; make contact)
"Cleave" entails doing...:
attach (become attached)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cleave"):
mold (fit tightly, follow the contours of)
conglutinate (stick together)
agglutinate (clump together; as of bacteria, red blood cells, etc.)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP
