belave

B3E1L1A1V4E1

verb

To lave or wash about; wash all over; wash.

OriginMiddle English bilaven →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

belave1

verbbelave (third-person singular simple present belaves, present participle belaving, simple past and past participle belaved)

present singular third person belaves · participle present belaving · participle past belaved · past belaved

  1. transitiveTo lave or wash about; wash all over; wash.

belave2

verbbelave (third-person singular simple present belaves, present participle belaving, simple past and past participle belaved)

present singular third person belaves · participle present belaving · participle past belaved · past belaved

  1. archaicintransitiveto remain, continue; to belay
  2. archaicintransitiveto be alive

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
remain

Origin

belave · verb

  1. Middle Englishbilaven“to wash all over”
  2. Englishbelave

From Middle English bilaven (“to wash all over”), from bi-, be- + laven (“to wash, pour water on”), equivalent to be- + lave.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

belave · verb

  1. Proto-Germanic*bilībaną“to remain”
  2. Old Englishbelīfan“to remain”
  3. Middle Englishbeliven“to remain”
  4. Englishbelave

Anomalous alteration of beleve (“to remain, be alive”) and belive (“to remain, stay”), both from Middle English beliven (“to remain”), from Old English belīfan (“to remain”), from Proto-Germanic *bilībaną (“to remain”). More at belive, leave.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

belave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/belave

MLA

“belave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/belave. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “belave,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/belave.

Source: belave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.