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To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast; to cling. My bones cleave to my skin. Ps. cii. 5. The diseases of Egypt . . . shall cleave unto thee. Deut. xxviii. 60. Sophistry cleaves close to and protects Sin's rotten trunk, concealing its defects. Cowper.

A variety of albite, white and lamellar in structure.

One who cleaves, or that which cleaves; especially, a butcher's instrument for cutting animal bodies into joints or pieces.

A species of Galium (G. Aparine), having a fruit set with hooked bristles, which adhere to whatever they come in contact with; -- called also, goose grass, catchweed, etc.

excessive repugnance toward; to detest to extremity; to loathe. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Rom. xii. 9.

To stick fast or cleave, as a glutinous substance does; to become joined or united; as, wax to the finger; the lungs sometimes adhere to the pleura.

ase occurring in Bengal and other parts of the East Indies, in which the tongue chaps and cleaves.

a tier of oars. Placed on their banks, the lusty Trojan sweep Neptune's smooth face, and cleave the yielding deep. Waller.

h birdlime; to catch with birdlime; to insnare. When the heart is thus birdlimed, then it cleaves to everything it meets with. Coodwin.

See Cleavers.

r again, as a cow; to ruminate; hence, to meditate. Every beast the parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat. Deut. xxiv. 6.

imp. of Cleave. [Obs.]

from Cleave.

See Cleavers.

imp. of Cleave. Cleft. Spenser. Clove hitch (Naut.) See under Hitch. -- Clove hook (Naut.), an iron two-part hook, with jaws overlapping, used in bending chain sheets to the clews of sails; -- called also clip hook. Knight.

from Cleave, v. t. To show the cloven foot or hoof, to reveal a devilish character, or betray an evil purpose, notwithstanding disguises, -- Satan being represented dramatically and symbolically as having cloven hoofs.

To stick together; to cleave; to be united; to hold fast, as parts of the same mass. Neither knows he . . . how the solid parts of the body are united or cohere together. Locke.

To divide; to cleave in two. [Obs.] Spenser.

To separate, to open; to cleave.

To rive; to cleave. [Obs.]