First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1grave
verb \ˈgrāv\
gravedgrav·en \ˈgrā-vən\ or gravedgrav·ing
Definition of GRAVE
transitive verb
2
3
: to impress or fix (as a thought) deeply
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Origin of GRAVE
Middle English, from Old English grafan; akin to Old High German graban to dig, Old Church Slavic pogreti to bury
2grave
noun
Definition of GRAVE
1
: an excavation for burial of a body; broadly : a burial place
Origin of GRAVE
Middle English, from Old English græf; akin to Old High German grab grave, Old English grafan to dig
First Known Use: before 12th century
Rhymes with GRAVE
3grave
verb
gravedgrav·ing
Definition of GRAVE
transitive verb
: to clean and pay with pitch <grave a ship's bottom>
Origin of GRAVE
Middle English graven
First Known Use: 15th century
4grave
adjective \ˈgrāv, in sense 5 often ˈgräv\
grav·ergrav·est
Definition of GRAVE
1
a obsolete : authoritative, weighty b : meriting serious consideration : important <grave problems> c : likely to produce great harm or danger <a grave mistake> d : significantly serious : considerable, great <grave importance>
2
: having a serious and dignified quality or demeanor <a grave and thoughtful look>
3
: drab in color : somber
4
: low-pitched in sound
5
a of an accent mark : having the form ` b : marked with a grave accent c : of the variety indicated by a grave accent
— grave·ly adverb
— grave·ness noun
Origin of GRAVE
Middle French, from Latin gravis heavy, grave — more at grieve
First Known Use: 1539
Synonym Discussion of GRAVE
serious, grave, solemn, sedate, staid, sober, earnest mean not light or frivolous. serious implies a concern for what really matters <a serious play about social injustice>. grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude <read the proclamation in a grave voice>. solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity <a sad and solemn occasion>. sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness <remained sedate amid the commotion>. staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint <a quiet and staid community>. sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity <a sober look at the state of our schools>. earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose <an earnest reformer>.
5grave
noun \ˈgrāv, ˈgräv\
Definition of GRAVE
: a grave accent ` used to show that a vowel is pronounced with a fall of pitch (as in ancient Greek), that a vowel has a certain quality (as è in French), that a final e is stressed and close and that a final o is stressed and low (as in Italian), that a syllable has a degree of stress between maximum and minimum (as in phonetic transcription), or that the e of the English ending -ed is to be pronounced (as in “this cursèd day”)
First Known Use of GRAVE
1609
6grave
adverb or adjective gra·ve \ˈgrä-(ˌ)vā\
Definition of GRAVE
: slowly and solemnly —used as a direction in music
Origin of GRAVE
Italian, literally, grave, from Latin gravis
First Known Use: 1683
GRAVED Defined for Kids
1grave
noun \ˈgrāv\
Definition of GRAVE for Kids
: a hole in the ground for burying a dead body
2grave
adjective
grav·ergrav·est
Definition of GRAVE for Kids
1
: very serious : important <grave danger> <a grave discussion>
2
: serious in appearance or manner <a grave voice>
— grave·ly adverb
Word Root of GRAVE
The Latin word gravis, meaning “heavy” or “serious,” gives us the root grav. Words from the Latin gravis have something to do with heaviness or seriousness. Something grave, or important, such as a situation, requires serious thought and consideration. To aggravate is to make a situation more serious. Gravity is a force that pulls everything towards the ground making it feel heavy.
Medical Dictionary
grave
adjective \ˈgrāv\
Medical Definition of GRAVE
: very serious : dangerous to life—used of an illness or its prospects <a grave prognosis>
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