Greave

Pronunciation

• enPR: grÄ“v
• Homophones: grieve
• Rhymes: -iːv

From Middle English greve, from Old English grǣfe, grǣfa ("bush, bramble, grove, thicket, copse, brush-wood (for burning), fuel"), from Proto-Germanic *grainiz ("twig"), of unknown origin. Cognate with Old Norse grein ("branch, bough"), Old English grāf, grāfa ("grove"). See grove.

Full definition of greave

Noun

1. (obsolete) A bush; a tree; a grove.
2. (obsolete) A bough; a branch.

From Middle English greve, greyve, from Old English grǣfa, grēfa ("pit, cave, hole, grave, trench"), from Proto-Germanic *grōbō ("pit, ditch"), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- ("to dig, scratch, scrape"). Cognate with North Frisian groop ("pit, sewer, gutter"), Dutch groef ("pit, hole, gutter"), German Grube ("pit, hole"), Icelandic gröf ("pit, grave").

Noun

1. (obsolete) A ditch or trench.

From Middle English greve, grayve, from Old French greve ("shin"), of unknown origin.

Alternative forms

• greeve

Noun

1. A piece of armour that protects the leg, especially the shin.

From greaves, animal fat.

Verb

1. (nautical, transitive) To clean (a ship's bottom); to grave.

Anagrams

• regave