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In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.
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1828 Noah Webster Dictionary
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1828.mshaffer.com › Word [cleave]

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cleave

CLEAVE, v.i.

1. To stick; to adhere; to hold to.

My bones cleave to my skin. Ps. 102.

Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. Ps. 137.

Cleave to that which is good. Rom. 12.

2. To unite aptly; to fit; to sit well on.

3. To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment.

A man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife. Gen. 2. Math. 19.

Cleave to Jehovah your God. Josh. 23.

CLEAVE, v.t.

1. To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to open or serve the cohering parts of a body, by cutting or by the application of force; as, to cleave wood; to cleave a rock; to cleave the flood. Ps. 74.

2. To part or open naturally.

Every beast that cleaveth the cleft into two claws. Deut. 14.

CLEAVE, v.i. To part; to open; to crack; to separate, as parts of cohering bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost.

The mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof. Zech. 14.


Evolution (or devolution) of this word [cleave]

1828 Webster1844 Webster1913 Webster

CLEAVE, v.i.

1. To stick; to adhere; to hold to.

My bones cleave to my skin. Ps. 102.

Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. Ps. 137.

Cleave to that which is good. Rom. 12.

2. To unite aptly; to fit; to sit well on.

3. To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment.

A man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife. Gen. 2. Math. 19.

Cleave to Jehovah your God. Josh. 23.

CLEAVE, v.t.

1. To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to open or serve the cohering parts of a body, by cutting or by the application of force; as, to cleave wood; to cleave a rock; to cleave the flood. Ps. 74.

2. To part or open naturally.

Every beast that cleaveth the cleft into two claws. Deut. 14.

CLEAVE, v.i. To part; to open; to crack; to separate, as parts of cohering bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost.

The mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof. Zech. 14.

CLEAVE, v.i.1 [pret. clave or cleaved. Sax. cleofian, cliofian, to split and to adhere; clyfian, to adhere; D. kleeven; G. kleben or kleiben; Dan. klæber, kleber; Sw. klibba; Russ. lipnu. The old preterit clave is obsolescent.]

  1. To stick; to adhere; to hold to. My bones cleave to my skin. – Ps. cii. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. – Ps. cxxxvii. Cleave to that which is good. – Rom. xii.
  2. To unite aptly; to fit; to sit well on. – Shak.
  3. To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment. A man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife. – Gen. ii. Matth. xix. Cleave to Jehovah your God. – Josh. xxiii.

CLEAVE, v.i.2

To part; to open; to crack; to separate, as parts of cohering bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost. The mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof. – Zech. xiv.


CLEAVE, v.t. [pret. cleft; pp. cleft or cleaved. The old pret. clove is obsolete; clave is obsolescent. The old participle, cloven, is obsolescent, or rather used as an adjective. Sax. cleofian, or clifian; D. klooven; G. klieben; Sw. klyfwa; Dan. klöver; Russ. lopayu; Gr. λεπω. This word seems to be connected with the L. liber, free, and bark, book, libero, to free, Fr. livrer, whence deliver.]

  1. To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to open or sever the cohering parts of a body, by cutting or by the application of force; as, to cleave wood; to cleave a rock; to cleave the flood. – Ps. lxxiv. Milton. Dryden.
  2. To part or open naturally. Every beast that cleaved the cleft into two claws. – Deut. xiv.

Cleave
  1. To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast; to cling.

    My bones cleave to my skin.
    Ps. cii. 5.

    The diseases of Egypt . . . shall cleave unto thee.
    Deut. xxviii. 60.

    Sophistry cleaves close to and protects
    Sin's rotten trunk, concealing its defects.
    Cowper.

  2. To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to cut.

    O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.
    Shak.

  3. To part; to open; to crack; to separate; as parts of bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost.

    The Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst.
    Zech. xiv. 4.

  4. To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment.

    Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.
    Gen. ii. 24.

    Cleave unto the Lord your God.
    Josh. xxiii. 8.

  5. To part or open naturally; to divide.

    Every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws.
    Deut. xiv. 6.

  6. To fit; to be adapted; to assimilate.

    [Poetic.]

    New honors come upon him,
    Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mold
    But with the aid of use.
    Shak.

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Cleave

CLEAVE, verb intransitive

1. To stick; to adhere; to hold to.

My bones cleave to my skin. Psalms 102:5.

Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. Psalms 137:6.

CLEAVE to that which is good. Romans 12:9.

2. To unite aptly; to fit; to sit well on.

3. To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment.

A man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife. Genesis 2:24. Math. 19.

CLEAVE to Jehovah your God. Joshua 23:8.

CLEAVE, verb transitive

1. To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to open or serve the cohering parts of a body, by cutting or by the application of force; as, to cleave wood; to cleave a rock; to cleave the flood. Psa 74.

2. To part or open naturally.

Every beast that cleaveth the cleft into two claws. Deuteronomy 14:1.

CLEAVE, verb intransitive To part; to open; to crack; to separate, as parts of cohering bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost.

The mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof. Zechariah 14:4.

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Word of the Day

importance

IMPORT'ANCE, n.

1. Weight; consequence; a bearing on some interest; that quality of any thing by which it may affect a measure, interest or result. The education of youth is of great importance to a free government. A religious education is of infinite importance to every human being.

2. Weight or consequence in the scale of being.

Thy own importance know.

Nor bound thy narrow views to things below.

3. Weight or consequence in self-estimation.

He believes himself a man of importance.

4. Thing implied; matter; subject; importunity. [In these senses, obsolete.]

Random Word

flush

FLUSH, v.i.

1. To flow and spread suddenly; to rush; as, blood flushes into the face.

2. To come in haste; to start.

3. To appear suddenly, as redness or a blush.

A blush rose on their cheeks, flushing and fading like the changeful play of colors on a dolphin.

4. To become suddenly red; to glow; as, the cheeks flush.

5. To be gay, splendid or beautiful.

At once, arrayed in all the colors of the flushing year, the garden glows.

FLUSH, v.t.

1. To redden suddenly; to cause the blood to rush suddenly into the face.

Nor flush with shame the passing virgin's cheek.

2. To elate; to elevate; to excite the spirits; to animate with joy; as, to flush with victory.

FLUSH, a.

1. Fresh, full of vigor; glowing; bright.

Flush as May.

2. Affluent; abounding; well furnished.

Lord Strut was not very flush in ready.

3. Free to spend; liberal; prodigal. He is very flush with his money. This is a popular use of the word in America.

A flush deck, in seamen's language, is a deck without a half-deck or forecastle.

FLUSH, n.

1. A sudden flow of blood to the face; or more generally, the redness of face which proceeds from such an afflux of blood. Hectic constitutions are often known by a frequent flush in the cheeks.

2. Sudden impulse or excitement; sudden flow; as a flush of joy.

3. Bloom; growth; abundance.

4. A run of cards of the same suit.

5. A term for a number of ducks.

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