Lave is a simple, monosyllabic word that magically makes the mundane act of washing poetic. Shakespeare used it in The Taming of the Shrew when Gremio assured the father of his beloved …

lave (leɪv) vb an archaic word for wash [Old English lafian, perhaps from Latin lavāre to wash]

LAVE definition: to wash; bathe. See examples of lave used in a sentence.

Definition of 'lave' lave in British English (leɪv ) verb an archaic word for wash

Nov 1, 2025 · lave (plural laves) (archaic except literary, poetic) An act of bathing or washing; a bath or bathe, a wash. quotations

Lave definition: To wash; bathe.

There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb lave, three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

/leɪv/ IPA guide Other forms: laved; laves; laving Definitions of lave verb wash or flow against “the waves laved the shore”

lave - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. All Free.

From Middle English lave, laif, lafe ("remainder, rest, that which is left"), from Old English lāf ("lave, remainder, rest"), from Proto-Germanic *laibō (“remainder”), from Proto-Indo-European *lip- (“to stick, …