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Webster 1913 Edition

Cleave

Cleave

(klēv)
,
Verb.
I.
[
imp.
Cleaved
(klēvd)
,
Clave
(
klāv
,
Obs.
);
p. p.
Cleaved
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Cleaving
.]
[OE.
cleovien
,
clivien
,
cliven
, AS.
cleofian
,
clifian
; akin to OS.
klibōn
, G.
kleben
, LG.
kliven
, D.
kleven
, Dan.
klæbe
, Sw.
klibba
, and also to G.
kleiben
to cleve, paste, Icel.
klīfa
to climb. Cf.
Climb
.]
1.
To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast; to cling.
My bones
cleave
to my skin.
Ps. cii. 5.
The diseases of Egypt . . . shall
cleave
unto thee.
Deut. xxviii. 60.
Sophistry
cleaves
close to and protects
Sin’s rotten trunk, concealing its defects.
Cowper.
2.
To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall
cleave
unto his wife.
Gen. ii. 24.
Cleave
unto the Lord your God.
Josh. xxiii. 8.
3.
To fit; to be adapted; to assimilate.
[Poetic.]
New honors come upon him,
Like our strange garments,
cleave
not to their mold
But with the aid of use.
Shakespeare

Cleave

(klēv)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp.
Cleft
(klĕft)
,
Clave
(
klāv
,
Obs.
),
Clove
(
klōv
,
Obsolescent
);
p. p.
Cleft
,
Cleaved
(klēvd)
or
Cloven
(klō′v’n)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Cleaving
.]
[OE.
cleoven
,
cleven
, AS.
cleófan
; akin to OS.
klioban
, D.
klooven
, G.
klieben
, Icel.
kljūfa
, Sw.
klyfva
, Dan.
klöve
and prob. to Gr.
γλύφειν
to carve, L.
glubere
to peel. Cf.
Cleft
.]
1.
To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to cut.
O Hamlet, thou hast
cleft
my heart in twain.
Shakespeare
2.
To part or open naturally; to divide.
Every beast that parteth the hoof, and
cleaveth
the cleft into two claws.
Deut. xiv. 6.

Cleave

,
Verb.
I.
To part; to open; to crack; to separate; as parts of bodies;
as, the ground
cleaves
by frost
.
The Mount of Olives shall
cleave
in the midst.
Zech. xiv. 4.

Webster 1828 Edition

Cleave

CLEAVE

, v.i.
1.
To stick; to adhere; to hold to.
My bones cleave to my skin. Ps. 102.
Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. Ps. 137.
Cleave to that which is good. Rom. 12.
2.
To unite aptly; to fit; to sit well on.
3.
To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment.
A man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife. Gen. 2. Math. 19.
Cleave to Jehovah your God. Josh. 23.

CLEAVE

, v.t.
1.
To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to open or serve the cohering parts of a body, by cutting or by the application of force; as, to cleave wood; to cleave a rock; to cleave the flood. Ps. 74.
2.
To part or open naturally.
Every beast that cleaveth the cleft into two claws. Deut. 14.

CLEAVE

,
Verb.
I.
To part; to open; to crack; to separate, as parts of cohering bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost.
The mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof. Zech. 14.

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