Definition of GREAVE

greave

Plural: greaves

Noun

  • armor plate that protects legs below the knee
  • A bush; a tree; a grove.
  • A bough; a branch.
  • A ditch or trench.
  • A piece of armour that protects the leg, especially the shin, and occasionally the tops of the feet.
  • pl. -S a piece of armor for the leg GREAVED adj

Verb

  • To clean (a ship's bottom); to grave.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English greve, from Old English grǣfe, grǣfa (“bush, bramble, grove, thicket, copse, brush-wood (for burning), fuel”), probably related to Proto-Germanic *grōbō (“ditch, hole”).
Cognate with Scots greve, greave (“grove”). Compare also Proto-Germanic *grainiz (“twig”), of unknown origin, whence Old Norse grein (“branch, bough”). Closely related to Old English grāf, grāfa (“grove”). See grove.

Synonyms

jambeau, cnemid

Scrabble Score: 10

greave: valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
greave: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
greave: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

greave is a valid Words With Friends word