Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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adj
Chiefly in lave ears: of ears: drooping, hanging down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An act of bathing or washing; a bath or bathe, a wash.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The sea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, figuratively, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
That which is left over; a remainder, a remnant, the rest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: residue, lave, leavings, leftover, ort, relic, remainder, remains, remanent, remnant, residuum, rest, rump
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A relict, a widow.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To bathe or wash (someone or something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Of a river or other water body: to flow along or past (a place or thing); to wash.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Followed by into, on, or upon: to pour (water or some other liquid) with or as if with a ladle into or on someone or something; to lade, to ladle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To remove (something), as if by washing away with water.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To surround or gently touch (someone or something), as if with water.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Chiefly in sexual contexts: to lick (someone or something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Followed by out or up: to draw or scoop (water) out of something with a bucket, scoop, etc.; specifically, to bail (water) out of a boat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To bathe or wash.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, reflexive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To surround as if with water.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Chiefly in sexual contexts; followed by at: to lick.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Of ears: to droop, to hang down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
wash one's face and hands
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: wash up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: freshen, refresh, refreshen, freshen up
verb
cleanse (one's body) with soap and water
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: wash
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cleanse, clean
Narrower terms: sponge down, scrub, scrub up, gargle, rinse, shampoo, hush
verb
wash or flow against
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: lap, wash
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: flow
History
The adjective is from Middle English lave (“of the ears: drooping, hanging down”), from Old Norse lafa, from Proto-Germanic *labēn- (“to dangle”), from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang down loosely (?)”). The verb is probably derived from the adjective.
The verb is derived from Middle English laven (“to bathe, wash; to bail or draw water, drain, exhaust; to dampen, wet; to pour; of water, etc.: to flow, stream”), and then partly: * from Old French laver (“to be washed; to wash”) (modern French laver (“to wash (oneself)”)), from Latin lavāre, the present active infinitive of lavō (“to bathe, wash; to dampen, wet”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewh3- (“to wash”); and * from Old English lafian (“to bathe; to make wet; to ladle out; to pour”), from Proto-West Germanic *labōn (“to refresh, revitalize; to strengthen”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Latin lavō (see above) but this does not explain the change in meaning from “to wash; to wet” to “to refresh; to strengthen”. Perhaps Old English lafian is derived directly from the Latin word, and Proto-West Germanic *labōn and words in languages derived from it such as Dutch and German are coincidentally similar to the Old English word. The noun is derived from the verb.
From Northern Middle English lave, Middle English love, Early Middle English lafe (“remainder, rest; legacy; relict, widow”), from Old English lāf (“remainder, rest; heirloom; legacy; relict, widow”), from Proto-West Germanic *laibu (“remainder”), from Proto-Germanic *laibō (“remainder, remnant”), from *lībaną (“to be left, to remain”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick; fat or sticky substance”). Doublet of belive (“(obsolete except UK, dialectal) to remain, stay”). Cognates * Old English belīfan (“to remain”) * Old High German leiba (“to lave”) * Old Norse leif (“to lave”)
