I. ˈlāv noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English (northern dialect), from Old English lāf; akin to Old High German leiba remainder, Old Norse leifar (plural) remnants, Gothic laiba remnant; derivative from the root of Old English be līfan to remain, be left over — more at leave
now dialect : something that is left or remains : residue , remainder
he aye did as the lave did — J.G.Lockhart
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English laven, from Old English lafian; akin to Middle Dutch laven to refresh, soak, Old High German labōn to refresh, wash; all from a prehistoric West Germanic word borrowed from Latin lavare to wash — more at lye
transitive verb
1. : to wash or flow along or against : wash , bathe
laved her injured foot in the cold stream — W.H.Hudson †1922
baptism is performed by laving the candidate's head — George Stimpson
all stuffed into a whole long loaf of bread and laved generously with oil — R.B.Gehman
2. : pour
3. obsolete : to dip or scoop up or out (as with a ladle) : lade , bail
intransitive verb
archaic : to wash oneself : bathe
in her chaste current oft the goddess laves — Alexander Pope
III.
dialect
variant of leave