- 1[transitive] cleave something (old-fashioned or literary) to split or cut something in two using something sharp and heavy She cleaved his skull (in two) with an ax. (figurative) His skin was cleft with deep lines.
- 2[intransitive, transitive] (old-fashioned or literary) to move quickly through something cleave through something a ship cleaving through the water cleave something The huge boat cleaved the darkness. to cleave a path through the traffic
- 3[intransitive] cleave to something/somebody (literary) to stick close to something or someone Her tongue clove to the roof of her mouth.
- 4[intransitive] cleave to something (formal) to continue to believe in or be loyal to something to cleave to a belief/idea
cleave
verbNAmE//kliv//
Less commonly, cleft/klɛft/ and clove/kloʊv/ are used for the past tense, and cleft and cloven/kloʊvn/ for the past participle.Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they cleave he / she / it cleaves
past simple cleaved
-ing form cleaving
Check pronunciation: cleave