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Reeve
Definitions
- 1 A surname originating as an occupation for a bailiff.
- 2 An unincorporated community in Vance Creek, Barron County, Wisconsin, United States.
- 1 Any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities. historical
"His first convert was the reeve of the city of Lincoln called Blæcca, ..."
- 2 A female of the species Philomachus pugnax, a highly gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia; the male is a ruff.
- 3 female ruff wordnet
- 4 The president of a township or municipal district council. Canada
- 5 The holder of a proposed but unadopted commissioned rank of the Royal Air Force, equivalent to wing commander. historical
"A list of new titles was manufactured as follows: Ensign, Lieutenant, Flight-Leader, Squadron-Leader, Reeve, Banneret, Fourth-Ardian, Third-Ardian, Second-Ardian, Ardian, Air Marshal. […] “Reeve”, perhaps, savoured a little too much of legal authority."
- 1 To pass (a rope) through a hole or opening, especially so as to fasten it. dialectal
""Let the rope go," he says. With his other hand he reaches down and reeves the two turns from the stanchion."
- 2 fasten by passing through a hole or around something wordnet
- 3 pass through a hole or opening wordnet
- 4 pass a rope through wordnet
Etymology
From Middle English reve, from Old English rēfa, an aphetism of ġerēfa (also groefa), from Proto-West Germanic *garāfijō (“officer, official”). Compare Danish greve, Swedish greve, Dutch graaf, German Graf. The role, and eventually the word, was mostly replaced by bailiff, of Anglo-Norman origin.
Apparent alternative form of reef (“to pull or yank strongly”, verb) or from Dutch reven (“to take in, insert”).
Variant of dialectal ree, but of obscure ultimate origin.
* As an English surname, from the noun reeve. * As an Irish surname, variant of Reeves.
See also for "reeve"
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Unscramble this word: reeve