greave

== English == === Pronunciation === enPR: grēv, IPA(key): /ɡɹiːv/ Homophone: grieve Rhymes: -iːv === Etymology 1 === From Middle English greve, from Old English grǣfe, grǣfa (“bush, bramble, grove, thicket, copse, brush-wood (for burning), fuel”), probably related to Proto-Germanic *grōbō (“ditch, hole”). Cognate with Scots greve, greave (“grove”). Compare also Proto-Germanic *grainiz (“twig”), of unknown origin, whence Old Norse grein (“branch, bough”). Closely related to Old English grāf, grāfa (“grove”). See grove. ==== Noun ==== greave (plural greaves) (obsolete) A bush; a tree; a grove. (obsolete) A bough; a branch. === Etymology 2 === From Middle English greve, greyve, from Old English grǣfa, grēfa (“pit, cave, hole, grave, trench”), from Proto-Germanic *grēbō, an ablaut variant of to *grōbō (“pit, ditch”) (whence doublet of groove) (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?), 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”). Also related to grave. ==== Noun ==== greave (plural greaves) (obsolete) A ditch or trench. === Etymology 3 === From Middle English greve, grayve, from Old French greve (“shin”), of uncertain origin; possibly from Egyptian Arabic جورب (“stocking, leg cover”). Watkins suggests a connection with greve (“part in the hair”), due to the resemblance of the medial ridge to a part in the hair, from graver (“to part (the hair); engrave”), of Germanic origin, from Frankish *graban (“to engrave”); if so, related to Etymology 2 above. ==== Noun ==== greave (plural greaves) (historical) A piece of armour that protects the leg, especially the shin, and occasionally the tops of the feet. ===== Alternative forms ===== greeve ===== Synonyms ===== cnemid ===== Derived terms ===== greaved ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 4 === Back-formation from greaves (“residue left after animal fat has been rendered”). ==== Verb ==== greave (third-person singular simple present greaves, present participle greaving, simple past and past participle greaved) (nautical, transitive) To clean (a ship's bottom); to grave. === See also === greaves (“residue left after animal fat has been rendered”) === References === === Anagrams === regave