What does "bereave" mean?
Bereave: To take away from. [Obs.] All your interest in those territories Is utterly bereft you; all is lost. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.To take away. [Obs.] Shall move you to bereave my life. Marlowe. Note: The imp. and past pple. form bereaved is not used in reference to immaterial objects. We say bereaved or bereft by death of a relative, bereft of hope and strength.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00