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cleave - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'cleave' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Cleave [ v. i. ]
- To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast; to cling.
- To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment.
- To fit; to be adapted; to assimilate.
- To part; to open; to crack; to separate; as parts of bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost.
2 . Cleave [ v. t.]
- To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to cut.
- To part or open naturally; to divide.

Meaning of 'cleave' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . cleave [ v]
Meaning (1):
- separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument
Example in sentence:
  • cleave the bone
Meaning (2):
- come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
Example in sentence:
  • The dress clings to her body;
  • The label stuck to the box;
  • The sushi rice grains cohere
Meaning (3):
- make by cutting into
Example in sentence:
  • The water is going to cleave a channel into the rock

Nearby Words:

cleading clean clean-cut clean-limbed clean-timbered cleaned cleaner cleaning cleanlily cleanliness

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