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| cleave [ kleev ] (past cleaved or cleft [ kleft ] or clove [ klōv ], past participle cleaved or cleft or clo·ven [ klṓvən ], present participle cleav·ing, 3rd person present singular cleaves) |
transitive and intransitive verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. split: to split, or make something split, especially along a plane of natural weakness
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2. cut path through something: to make a way through something
(
literary
)
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3. penetrate something: to penetrate or pierce something deep or dense such as water or heavy undergrowth
(
literary
)
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| [ Old English clēofan< Indo-European] |
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  cleav·a·ble adjective |
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