cleave
cleave Lexical Profile
cleave Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To split or sever something along a natural grain, line of weakness, or structural plane, or to divide with a sharp blow.
"The skilled jeweler used a small mallet and wedge to cleave the rough diamond along its internal grain."
To stick fast or adhere strongly to a surface, person, or principle, either physically or emotionally (usually followed by "to").
"Despite decades of rapid modernization, many residents still cleave to the traditional customs of their ancestors."
To divide a complex molecule or cell into simpler parts by breaking chemical bonds (in biochemistry and biology).
"Specific digestive enzymes are required to cleave the long protein chains into smaller peptides."
To make a way through water, air, or a dense crowd by parting it forcefully.
"The wooden prow of the expedition vessel began to cleave the icy waters of the fjord."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Cleave" is a classic contronym (or auto-antonym) because two distinct Old English verbs converged into a single spelling with opposite meanings: "to split apart" and "to cling tightly." In modern usage, the "split" sense typically takes the past tense "clove" or "cleft" (and past participle "cloven" or "cleft"), whereas the "adhere" sense is almost always conjugated regularly as "cleaved" and followed by the preposition "to."
• Rhymes for cleave
Word Origin & Etymology
This word represents the convergence of two distinct Old English verbs: "clēofan" (meaning "to split or separate," of Proto-Germanic origin) and "clifian" (meaning "to stick or adhere," related to "cliff" and "clay").