grave
1 [greyv]
| 1. | an excavation made in the earth in which to bury a dead body. |
| 2. | any place of interment; a tomb or sepulcher: a watery grave. |
| 3. | any place that becomes the receptacle of what is dead, lost, or past: the grave of unfulfilled ambitions. |
| 4. | death: O grave, where is thy victory? |
| 5. | have one foot in the grave, to be so frail, sick, or old that death appears imminent: It was a shock to see my uncle looking as if he had one foot in the grave. |
| 6. | make (one) turn or turn over in one's grave, to do something to which a specified dead person would have objected bitterly: This production of Hamlet is enough to make Shakespeare turn in his grave. |
Related forms:
grave
2 [greyv; for 4, 6 also grahv]
adjective, grav⋅er, grav⋅est for 1–3, 5, noun | 1. | serious or solemn; sober: a grave person; grave thoughts. |
| 2. | weighty, momentous, or important: grave responsibilities. |
| 3. | threatening a seriously bad outcome or involving serious issues; critical: a grave situation; a grave illness. |
| 4. | Grammar.
|
| 5. | (of colors) dull; somber. |
| 6. | the grave accent. |
1535–45; < MF < L gravis; akin to Gk barýs heavy

Related forms:
1. sedate, staid, thoughtful. Grave, sober, solemn refer to the condition of being serious in demeanor or appearance. Grave indicates a weighty dignity, or the character, aspect, demeanor, speech, etc., of one conscious of heavy responsibilities or cares, or of threatening possibilities: The jury looked grave while studying the evidence. Sober (from its original sense of freedom from intoxication, and hence temperate, staid, sedate) has come to indicate absence of levity, gaiety, or mirth, and thus to be akin to serious and grave: as sober as a judge; a sober expression on one's face. Solemn implies an impressive seriousness and deep earnestness: The minister's voice was solemn as he announced the text.
1. frivolous, gay.
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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grave 2 (grāv) adj. grav·er, grav·est
A mark ( ` ) indicating a pronounced e for the sake of meter in the usually nonsyllabic ending -ed in English poetry. [French, from Old French, from Latin gravis; see gwerə-1 in Indo-European roots.] grave'ly adv., grave'ness n. |
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Grave
Grave\, v. t. (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
Grave\, a. [Compar. Graver (gr[=a]v"[~e]r); superl. Gravest.] [F., fr. L. gravis heavy; cf. It. & Sp. grave heavy, grave. See Grief.]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. Grave accent. (Pron.) See the Note under Accent, n., 2. Syn: Solemn; sober; serious; sage; staid; demure; thoughtful; sedate; weighty; momentous; important. Usage: 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
Grave\, v. t. [imp. Graved (gr[=a]vd); p. p. Graven (gr[=a]v"'n) or Graved; p. pr. & vb. n. Graving.] [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.]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
Grave\, v. i. To write or delineate on hard substances, by means of incised lines; to practice engraving.Grave
Grave\, n. [AS. gr?f, fr. grafan to dig; akin to D. & OS. graf, G. grab, Icel. gr["o]f, Russ. grob' grave, coffin. See Grave to carve.] 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. Grave wax, adipocere.Cite This Source
grave (n.)
grave (adj.)
grave (v.)
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Main Entry: grave
Pronunciation: 'grAv
Function: adjective
: very serious : dangerous to life —used of an illness or its prospects grave prognosis>
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grave (grāv)
adj.
Serious or dangerous, as a symptom or disease.
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Grave
Among the ancient Hebrews graves were outside of cities in the open field (Luke 7:12; John 11:30). Kings (1 Kings 2:10) and prophets (1 Sam. 25:1) were generally buried within cities. Graves were generally grottoes or caves, natural or hewn out in rocks (Isa. 22:16; Matt. 27:60). There were family cemeteries (Gen. 47:29; 50:5; 2 Sam. 19:37). Public burial-places were assigned to the poor (Jer. 26:23; 2 Kings 23:6). Graves were usually closed with stones, which were whitewashed, to warn strangers against contact with them (Matt. 23:27), which caused ceremonial pollution (Num. 19:16). There were no graves in Jerusalem except those of the kings, and according to tradition that of the prophetess Huldah.
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