bereave

Inherited from Middle English bireven, from Old English berēafian (“to bereave, deprive of, take away, seize, rob, despoil”), from Proto-Germanic *biraubōną, and Old English berēofan (“to bereave, deprive, rob of”); both equivalent to be- +‎ reave. Cognate with Dutch beroven (“to rob, deprive, bereave”), German berauben (“to deprive, rob, bereave”), Danish berøve (“to deprive of”), Norwegian berøve (“to deprive”), Swedish beröva (“to rob”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌱𐍉𐌽 (biraubōn).

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /bɪˈɹiːv/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: -iːv

bereave (third-person singular simple present bereaves, present participle bereaving, simple past and past participle bereaved or bereft)

1. (transitive) To deprive by or as if by violence; to rob; to strip.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Madam, you have bereft me of all words,

   • 1719, Thomas Tickell, On the Death of Mr. Addison:

     bereft of him who taught me how to sing

2. (transitive, obsolete) To take away by destroying, impairing, or spoiling; take away by violence.
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies.  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     All your interest in those territories / Is utterly bereft you; all is lost.

   • c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. , London: I B for Nicholas Vavasour, , published 1633, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     […] shall move you to bereave my life.

3. (transitive) To deprive of power; prevent.
4. (transitive) To take away someone or something that is important or close; deprive.

   Death bereaved him of his wife.

   The castaways were bereft of hope.

5. (intransitive, rare) To destroy life; cut off.

• reave