sleave

S1L1E1A1V4E1
/sliːv/

verb

To separate, as threads; to divide, as a collection of threads.

Similar
sley
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Meanings

verbsleave (third-person singular simple present sleaves, present participle sleaving, simple past and past participle sleaved)

present singular third person sleaves · participle present sleaving · participle past sleaved · past sleaved

  1. businessTo separate, as threads; to divide, as a collection of threads.

    Synonyms: sley

nounsleave (countable and uncountable, plural sleaves)

plural sleaves

  1. countableuncountableThe knotted or entangled part of silk or thread.
  2. countableuncountableSilk not yet twisted; floss.

    Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care.

    c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo separate, as threads; to divide, as a collection of threads.

Similar
sley

Origin

Compare Danish slöife, a loose knot, Swedish slejf (“a knot of ribbon”), German Schleife (“a loop”).

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with sleave

receivebelieveleavesteveachieveevesleeveretrievebreatherelieveperceiveYvesweavenaiveconceiveLIVreevedeceivegrievenevekyivcleaveheavebreve
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

sleeveslievesleeveslieve

Anagrams

salvee
Cite this entry
APA

sleave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sleave

MLA

“sleave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sleave. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sleave,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sleave.

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