BEREAVE


Meaning of BEREAVE in English

bə̇ˈrēv transitive verb

( bereaved -vd ; or be·reft -reft ; bereaved or bereft or archaic be·reav·en -rēvən ; bereaving ; bereaves )

Etymology: Middle English bereven, from Old English berēafian, from be- + rēafian to rob — more at reave

1. : to deprive especially by death : strip , dispossess — used with of before that which is taken away

the war bereaved them of their three sons

bereft of all hope

bereft of their senses

2. obsolete : to take away (a cherished or valued possession) especially by force or violence

Synonyms: see deprive

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.