grave

grave

grave¹ [grāv]

adj.

graver, gravest [Fr < L gravis, heavy, weighty < IE base * gwer-, heavy, mill > QUERN, Gr barys, heavy, Sans gurúh, grave]

1.

a) requiring serious thought; important; weighty [grave doubts]

b) not light or trifling in nature or in consequence; grievous [a grave sin]

2.

a) seriously threatening health, well-being, or life; critical; dangerous [a grave illness]

b) seriously contrary to what is right or desirable; extremely bad [a grave fault]

c) Theol. so evil as to cause spiritual death; mortal [a grave sin]

3. dignified and solemn or sedate in manner or mien

4. somber; dull [grave colors]

5. low or deep in pitch

SYN.- SERIOUS

gravely

adv.

graveness

n.

grave² [grāv]

n.

[ME < OE græf (akin to OFris gref, Ger grab) < base of grafan, to dig: see GRAVE² the vt.]

1.

a) a hole in the ground in which to bury a dead body

b) any place of burial; tomb

2. final end or death; extinction

vt.

graved, graven or graved, graving [ME graven < OE grafan; akin to Ger graben < IE base * ghrebh-, to scratch, scrape]

1. Obs.

a) to dig

b) to bury

2. Archaic

a) to shape by carving; sculpture

b) to engrave; incise

3. to impress sharply and clearly; fix permanently

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have one foot in the grave

to be very ill, old, or infirm; be near death

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make someone turn (over) in his (or her) grave

to be or do something that would have shocked or distressed someone now dead

grave³ [grāv]

vt.

graved, graving [ME graven, prob. < OFr grave (Fr grève), beach, coarse sand (see GRAVEL): ships were orig. beached for cleaning the hulls]

to clean barnacles, etc. from (the hull of a wooden ship) and coat with pitch or tar

grave⁴ [grä′ve]

adj., adv.

[It]

Musical Direction slowly and with solemnity