grave Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun death of a person
    • he went to his grave without forgiving me
    • from cradle to grave
  2. noun a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)
    tomb.
    • he put flowers on his mother's grave
  3. noun a mark (`) placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation
    grave accent.
  4. verb shape (a material like stone or wood) by whittling away at it
    sculpture; sculpt.
    • She is sculpting the block of marble into an image of her husband
  5. verb carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
    scratch; inscribe; engrave.
    • engrave a pen
    • engraved the trophy cupt with the winner's
    • the lovers scratched their names into the bark of the tree
  6. adjective satellite dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
    sober; solemn; sedate.
    • a grave God-fearing man
    • a quiet sedate nature
    • as sober as a judge
    • a solemn promise
    • the judge was solemn as he pronounced sentence
  7. adjective satellite causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
    grievous; life-threatening; dangerous; severe; serious.
    • a dangerous operation
    • a grave situation
    • a grave illness
    • grievous bodily harm
    • a serious wound
    • a serious turn of events
    • a severe case of pneumonia
    • a life-threatening disease
  8. adjective satellite of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought
    heavy; grievous; weighty.
    • grave responsibilities
    • faced a grave decision in a time of crisis
    • a grievous fault
    • heavy matters of state
    • the weighty matters to be discussed at the peace conference

WordNet

Grave transitive verb
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) To clean, as a vessel's bottom, of barnacles, grass, etc., and pay it over with pitch; -- so called because graves or greaves was formerly used for this purpose.
Grave adjective
Etymology
F., fr. L. gravis heavy; cf. It. & Sp. grave heavy, grave. See Grief.
Wordforms
comparative Graver superlative Gravest
Definitions
  1. Of great weight; heavy; ponderous. Obs.
    His shield grave and great. Chapman.
  2. Of importance; momentous; weighty; influential; sedate; serious; -- said of character, relations, etc.; as, grave deportment, character, influence, etc.
    Most potent, grave, and reverend seigniors. Shak.
    A grave and prudent law, full of moral equity. Milton.
  3. Not light or gay; solemn; sober; plain; as, a grave color; a grave face.
  4. (Mus.) (a) Not acute or sharp; low; deep; -- said of sound; as, a grave note or key.
    The thicker the cord or string, the more grave is the note or tone. Moore (Encyc. of Music).
    (b) Slow and solemn in movement. Syn. -- Solemn; sober; serious; sage; staid; demure; thoughtful; sedate; weighty; momentous; important. -- Grave, Sober, Serious, Solemn. Sober supposes the absence of all exhilaration of spirits, and is opposed to gay or flighty; as, sober thought. Serious implies considerateness or reflection, and is opposed to jocose or sportive; as, serious and important concerns. Grave denotes a state of mind, appearance, etc., which results from the pressure of weighty interests, and is opposed to hilarity of feeling or vivacity of manner; as, a qrave remark; qrave attire. Solemn is applied to a case in which gravity is carried to its highest point; as, a solemn admonition; a solemn promise.
Grave transitive verb
Etymology
AS. grafan to dig, grave, engrave; akin to OFries. greva, D. graven, G. graben, OHG. & Goth. graban, Dan. grabe, Sw. gr&aum;fva, Icel. grafa, but prob. not to Gr. gra`fein to write, E. graphic. Cf. Grave, n., Grove, n.
Wordforms
imperfect Graved past participle Graven or Graved; present participle & verbal noun Graving
Definitions
  1. To dig. Obs. Chaucer.
    He hath graven and digged up a pit. Ps. vii. 16 (Book of Common Prayer).
  2. To carve or cut, as letters or figures, on some hard substance; to engrave.
    Thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel. Ex. xxviii. 9.
  3. To carve out or give shape to, by cutting with a chisel; to sculpture; as, to grave an image.
    With gold men may the hearte grave. Chaucer.
  4. To impress deeply (on the mind); to fix indelibly.
    O! may they graven in thy heart remain. Prior.
  5. To entomb; to bury. Obs. Chaucer.
    Lie full low, graved in the hollow ground. Shak.
Grave intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To write or delineate on hard substances, by means of incised lines; to practice engraving.
Grave noun
Etymology
AS. gr?f, fr. grafan to dig; akin to D. & OS. graf, G. grab, Icel. gröf, Russ. grob' grave, coffin. See Grave to carve.
Definitions
  1. An excavation in the earth as a place of burial; also, any place of interment; a tomb; a sepulcher. Hence: Death; destruction.
    He bad lain in the grave four days. John xi. 17.

Webster 1913