Function: verb
Inflected Form: cleaved \ ' kl ē vd \ also cleft \ ' kleft \ or clove \ ' kl ō v \ ; cleaved also cleft or clo · ven \ ' kl ō -v ə n \ ; cleav · ing
Etymology: Middle English cleven, from Old English cl ē ofan; akin to Old Norse klj ū fa to split, Latin glubere to peel, Greek glyphein to carve
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1 : to divide by or as if by a cutting blow : SPLIT
2 : to separate into distinct parts and especially into groups having divergent views
3 : to subject to chemical cleavage <a protein cleaved by an enzyme>
intransitive verb
1 : to split especially along the grain
2 : to penetrate or pass through something by or as if by cutting
synonyms see TEAR