1. v. (past clove or cleft or cleaved; past part. cloven or cleft or cleaved) literary 1 a tr. chop or break apart, split, esp. along the grain or the line of cleavage. b intr. come apart in this way.
2 tr. make one's way through (air or water).
Derivatives:
cleavable adj.
Etymology: OE cleofan f. Gmc 2. v.intr. (past cleaved or clave) (foll. by to) literary stick fast; adhere.
Etymology: OE cleofian, clifian f. WG: cf. CLAY