different between reeve vs reave

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?i?v/
• Rhymes: -i?v
• Homophone: reave

Etymology 1

From Middle English reve, from Old English r?fa, an aphetism of ?er?fa (also groefa), from Proto-West Germanic *gar?fij? (“officer, official”). Compare Danish greve, Swedish greve, Dutch graaf, German Graf. Role, and later word, mostly replaced by bailiff, of Anglo-Norman origin.

Noun

reeve (plural reeves)

1. (historical) Any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities.
2. (Canada) The president of a township or municipal district council.
3. (military, historical) The holder of a proposed but unadopted commissioned rank of the Royal Air Force, equivalent to wing commander.
   • 1936, The Periodical (Oxford University Press), volumes 21–22, page 67

     A list of new titles was manufactured as follows: Ensign, Lieutenant, Flight-Leader, Squadron-Leader, Reeve, Banneret, Fourth-Ardian, Third-Ardian, Second-Ardian, Ardian, Air Marshal. […] “Reeve”, perhaps, savoured a little too much of legal authority.

Synonyms

• (medieval official): provost

Related terms

• sheriff

See also

• bailiff

Translations

Etymology 2

Apparent alternative form of reef (“to pull or yank strongly”, verb) or from Dutch reven (“to take in, insert”).

Verb

reeve (third-person singular simple present reeves, present participle reeving, simple past and past participle reeved or rove)

1. (nautical, dialect) To pass (a rope) through a hole or opening, especially so as to fasten it.
   • 1930, William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying, Library of America, 1985, p.98:

     "Let the rope go," he says. With his other hand he reaches down and reeves the two turns from the stanchion.

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

reeve (plural reeves)

2. A female of the species Philomachus pugnax, a highly gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia; the male is a ruff.

Anagrams

• evere

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English r?fa.

Noun

reeve

1. Alternative form of reve

Etymology 2

From Old English r?afian.

Verb

reeve

1. Alternative form of reven

English

Alternative forms

• reive, rieve (archaic)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?i?v/

• Rhymes: -i?v

• Homophone: reeve

Etymology 1

From Middle English reven, from Old English r?afian, from Proto-West Germanic *raub?n.

Germanic cognates include West Frisian rave, Old English r?af (“spoils, booty”)), and Old English past participle rofen (“torn, broken”), Norwegian rjuva, German rauben, Danish røve, and Swedish röva. Outside of Germanic, related to Latin rumpere (“to break”), Lithuanian rùpti (“to roughen”), Sanskrit ?????? (ropayati, “to make suffer”)). See rob and reif.

Verb

reave (third-person singular simple present reaves, present participle reaving, simple past and past participle reaved or reft)

1. (archaic) To plunder, pillage, rob, pirate, or remove.
2. (archaic) To deprive (a person) of something through theft or violence.

Derived terms

• border reiver

Related terms

• bereave
• reaver
• rip
• rob

Translations

Etymology 2

Alteration of rive by confusion with the above.

Verb

reave (third-person singular simple present reaves, present participle reaving, simple past and past participle reft)

1. (archaic) To split, tear, break apart.

Related terms

• rive
• unreaved

Middle English

Verb

reave

1. Alternative form of reven