▪ I. reeve, n.1 Now chiefly Hist.
(riːv)
Forms: 1 ᵹi-, ᵹeroefa, ᵹeréfa, réfa, 2 irefe, 3 ref-, 5, 7 refe, 6 reeffe, Sc. reif; 2–8 (9) reve, 4 reyve, 5 rive, 6–7 reave, 4, 6– reeve.
[OE. ᵹeréfa, earlier ᵹirœ́fa, of uncertain etym.; app. not in any way related to the continental forms cited under graf, grave n.3 and n.4 Old Northumbrian had also the form grœ́fa whence grieve n.]
1. Hist. a. An Old English official of high rank having a local jurisdiction under the king; the chief magistrate of a town or district. † Also, in OE., applied to prefects, governors, etc., of Roman and Jewish times.
On the position of the ᵹeréfa in OE. times see Kemble Saxons in England (1876) II. v. 151–181; and cf. the articles on borough-reeve, portreeve, and sheriff. Modern writers have sometimes used the OE. form of the word.
| a 700 Epinal Gloss. 197 Censores, ᵹiroefan. Ibid. 223 Commentariensis, ᵹiroefa. 805 Charter in O.E. Texts 442 æðelnoð se ᵹerefa to eastoreᵹe. c 850 O.E. Martyrol. 25 Dec. 4 Þa het se ᵹerefa hie belucan in carcerne. a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. ii. xiii. [xvi.] (1890) 144 Þa ærest to Drihtnes ᵹeleafan [he] ᵹecerde Lindcylene ceastre ᵹerefan [L. præfectum]..mid his heorode. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark xv. 43 Þa com iosep se æðela ᵹerefa of abarimathia. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 115 [The king] scal soðfeste men setten him to irefen. c 1205 Lay. 15597 Þa wes inne Kair-Merðin a reue þe hehte Eli. a 1225 Juliana 8 He bi-ȝet et te keiser, þat he ȝettede him reue to beonne. c 1300 Havelok 1627 Wile ich speke with non oþer reue, But with þe, þat iustise are. a 1577 Sir T. Smith Commw. Eng. (1609) 69 The sherife (which is asmuch to say as the Reeue or Baily of the shire). 1593 Norden Spec. Brit., M'sex i. 7 The Saxons called him Scyreᵹerefa, the Reeve of the Shire. 1710 Prideaux Orig. Tithes iv. 199, I Athelstan..do command all my Reves in my Kingdom [etc.]. 1839 Keightley Hist. Eng. I. 24 When the reeve of the next town attempted to make them prisoners, they slew him, and escaped to their vessels. 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) I. v. 318 Hugh, a Frenchman, was now the royal reeve in Exeter. 1874 Green Short Hist. i. §6. 55 The royal reeves, officers despatched to levy the royal revenues and administer the royal justice. |
b. high reeve (OE. heahᵹeréfa).
The precise nature of the rank or office denoted by this title is uncertain: see Kemble (as above) 156–7.
| ? c 900 Wergilds c. 2 §4 in Thorpe Laws I. 186 Holdes & cyninges heah-ᵹerefan [ᵹild] .iiii. þusend þrymsa. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark xiii. 9 Befora undercyningum vel hehᵹerœfum [L. præsides] & cyningum ᵹie biðon stondende. c 1002 O.E. Chron. (Parker MS.) an. 1001 Ðær wearð æþelweard cinges heahȝerefa ofsleᵹen..and Leofwine cinges heahᵹerefa. a 1225 Juliana 8 Maximian hehest in rome, þat is heh reue. 1848 Kemble Saxons in Eng. ii. v. (1876) II. 157 These high-reeves were therefore probably military officers of æðelred. 1872 E. W. Robertson Hist. Ess. 177 Amongst the Northumbrians, the place of the Ealderman seems to have been filled by the High-Reeve. |
2. † a. A bailiff, steward, or overseer; a minor officer appointed by a landowner to superintend his estates, tenants, or workmen. Obs. (Cf. grieve.) b. A local official of minor rank; an overseer of a parish, a churchwarden, or the like. (See also church-, fen-, field-reeve.)
| a 1300 Beket 49 Gilbert and his felawes..Prisoun breke... The reve amorwe that hem scholde to here labour lede, Nuste he tho he miste hem what him was to rede. a 1300 Vox & Wolf 26 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 58 For he com in withouten leue Bothen of haiward and of reue. 1340 Ayenb. 37 Þe ontrewe reuen, prouos, and bedeles and seruons þat steleþ þe amendes and wyþdraȝeþ þe rentes of hire lhordes. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. ii. 78 Rondulf þe Reue of Rotelondes sokene. 1377 Ibid. B. v. 427, I can holde louedayes, and here a reues rekenynge. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 195 Oure prestis ben so bysye aboute worldly occupacioun þat þei semen bettere bailyues or reues þan gostly prestis of ihesu crist. 1419 Liber Albus (Rolls) I. 14 Hoc nomen ‘reve’ Saxonice sonat ‘villicum’ vel ‘ballivum’, qui sæpius in ore populi nominatur. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 431/2 Reve, lordys serwawnte, prepositus. 1511–12 Act 3 Hen. VIII, c. 23 §9 The said accomptauntes..that is to saye, Feodaries Bailliffes Reves Heywardes and Bedelles. 1574 tr. Littleton's Tenures 17 b, Hee may surrender hys landes unto the Bayliffe or to the Reeve. 1603 Owen Pembrokeshire (1892) 191 The Landlord by his bailliffe or reave vseth to arrest so much of the tenantes goods vpon the land as ys found of decaye. 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 434 To this Hobby-horse dance there also belong'd a pot, which was kept by turnes, by 4 or 5 of the cheif of the Town, whom they call'd Reeves. 1710 J. Harris Lex. Techn. II, Reeve of a Church is the Guardian of it; or the Church-Warden. 1765 Blackstone Comm. I. xi. 377 Neither can he be chosen to any temporal office; as bailiff, reeve, constable, or the like. 1791 in 15th Rep. Commissioners Woods, Forests, etc. (1793) 40 The Cattle of the Commoners are marked by the Reeves of the respective Parishes. 1871 Daily News 21 Sept., The reeve of Leyton..reported encroachments in Wanstead Flats. |
c. A foreman or overseer in a coal-mine.
| 1863 Edin. Rev. Apr. 417 The Reeve went on a few yards in advance of the party—his unlighted Davy-lamp in one hand. 1879 G. F. Jackson Shropsh. Word-bk., Reeve, the underground overlooker of the pits. |
d. In Canada, the president of a village- or town-council.
| 1853 S. Strickland 27 Yrs. Canada West II. 271 Counties..choose their reeves, and deputy reeves where the population admits of it, and these form the county council. 1884 Brandon (Manitoba) Blade 17 Jan. 8/3 The Reeve, in a few well chosen remarks, dwelt on the duties and responsibilities devolving on them as servants of the people. 1890 Dilke Probl. Greater Brit. I. i. ii. 112 The council of every village or township [in Canada] consists of one reeve and four councillors, and the county council consists of the reeves and deputy-reeves of the townships and villages within the county. 1945 G. W. Brown Canad. Democracy in Action vii. 89 The town council consists of a mayor, a reeve, and two or three councillors elected for each of the wards. 1965 Victoria (B.C.) Daily Times 20 July 11/8 The reeve said the general principle of regional planning is good but the mechanics need improving. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 5 Feb. 1/3 Dresden Reeve Wilfred Shaw said 61 families had been removed from their houses by firemen and other town employees. |
3. attrib. (in obs. or arch. terms), as reeve-ham, reeve-land, reeve-mead, reeve-pole (see quot. 1813), reeve-roll, reeve-sheaf.
| 969 Charter in Birch Cartul. Saxon. (1893) III. 532 We writað him{ddd}vi. æcras mæde on þa gerefmæde. c 1000 Gloss. in Wright Vocab. (1873) II. 45 In tribulano territorio, on þæm sundor ᵹereflande. 1235–52 Rentalia Glaston. (Som. Rec. Soc.) 34 Pro iiijor acris que vocantur Reflond iij sol. Ibid. 93 Et debet qualibet die in autumpno..unum revesef. Ibid. 118 Et [prepositus] habebit j pratum quod appellatur Refmede. Ibid. 140 [Prepositus] debet habere ij hammes prati..que vocantur Refhammes. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxii. 465 With spiritus intellectus thei toke þe reeue-rolles. 1778 Eng. Gazetteer (ed. 2) s.v. Taunton, The tenures here are copyhold-lands, over-lands, and reve-lands. 1813 Guide to Watering Places 459 The landlord of the Portland Arms usually has it in his power to shew the Reevepole, or Saxon mode of keeping accounts. 1897 Maitland Domesday & Beyond 169 Besides this he seems to have ‘reveland’ which belongs to him as sheriff. |
▪ II. reeve, n.2
(riːv)
[Of obscure origin: the form ree n.2 is found earlier, but is less frequent.]
The female of the ruff (Tringa pugnax).
| 1634 Althorp MS. in Simpkinson Washingtons (1860) App. 12 Ruff and reeve 3 dozen. Ibid. 15 For 20 dozen and 5 ruffs and reeves. 1648 Herrick Hesper., Panegyr. Sir L. Pemberton, The phesant,..reeve, ruffe, raile. 1678 Ray Willughby's Ornith. 302 The Ruff, whose Female is called a Reeve. 1768 Pennant Brit. Zool. II. 364 The Reeves, or females are said never to change their colors. 1831 Rennie Montagu's Ornith. Dict. 445 When the Reeves begin to lay, both those and the Ruffs are least shy, and..easily caught. 1871 Athenæum 3 June 689/2 The ruff and the reeve, now reduced to only a few pairs in a single locality, must also soon be lost if not protected by the law. |
▪ III. reeve, n.3
(riːv)
[Of obscure origin: the two senses may represent different words.]
1. A string or rope (of onions). Now only dial.
| 1678 Sampson in Phil. Trans. XII. 1001 All distended with Liquor, and ty'd, like a Reeve of Onions altogether. 1854–96 in dial. glossaries (Northampt., Leic., Warw.). |
2. A long narrow strip. ? Obs.
| 1725 Dudley in Phil. Trans. XXXIII. 258 Both the Finbacks and Humpbacks are shaped in Reeves longitudinal from Head to Tail on their Bellies and their Sides, so far as their Fins. 1770 Franklin Lett. Wks. 1840 VI. 335 The edges of two sheets are laid down so as to lap or cover each other an inch, and a slip of the same copper, about three inches and a half broad, called the reeve, is introduced between them. |
▪ IV. reeve, v.1 Chiefly Naut.
(riːv)
Also 7 rieve, 8 reif. pa. tense and pa. pple. rove and reeved; also 9 pa. pple. roven.
[Of obscure origin; usually referred to Du. reven, but this means ‘to reef’. The earlier form of the pa. tense and pa. pple. is reeved.]
1. a. trans. To pass (a rope) through a hole, ring, or block. Also const. through.
| 1627 [see reeving vbl. n.]. 1658 Phillips, To Reeve, a Term in Navigation, and spoken of ropes, signifieth as much as to put in or to put through. 1667 H. Manwayring Sea-Man's Dict. 81 When we would express that the Tack is put through the Ches-trees, we say it is reeved through. 1743 Bulkeley & Cummins Voy. S. Seas 14 Reev'd the Top Ropes, and lower'd the Yard. 1748 Anson's Voy. i. x. 104 We exerted ourselves..to reeve new lanyards, and to mend our sails. 1794 Nelson Mar. in Nicolas Disp. (1845) I. 379 Purchases will be rove to drag the guns. 1803 Phil. Trans. XCIII. 322 With great difficulty..I got small lines rove through four of the ports on the starboard side. 1825 Waterton Wand. S. Amer. iii. iv. 264 One end of the new rope..was reeved through the chain of the shark-hook. 1898 F. T. Bullen Cruise Cachalot 321 All hands were kept busily employed preparing for stormy weather—reeving new running-gear. |
b. transf. To thrust or pass (a rod, etc.) through any aperture or opening.
| 1681 R. Knox Hist. Ceylon i. vii. 28 Then they..take them [fish] out. And rieve a Rattan thro their gills. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 54 With the Reigns reif'd through both Hands, he streight hawls them aft like Main-Sheets. 1867 F. Francis Angling viii. (1880) 259 The tackle is not reeved through the gill. 1869 E. J. Reed Shipbuild. v. 80 One of the angle-irons at each transverse frame is reeved through a score just above the upper edge of the side bar. |
c. intr. Of a rope: To pass through a block, etc.
| 1860 Merc. Marine Mag. VII. 113 The..lines are to reeve through a..block. 1882 Nares Seamanship (ed. 6) 9 Chocks of wood..for the fore-topmast stays to reeve through. |
2. trans. To place in, on, or round, to fix to, something by reeving.
| 1667 H. Manwayring Sea-Man's Dict. 81 Instead of putting a rope through a block, we say, Reeve it in that block (as the Halliards are reeved in the Knights and Ram⁓heads). 1752 Smeaton in Phil. Trans. XLVII. 496 From this construction arises a new method of reeving the line upon the shieves. Ibid., The last line..being reeved round those till it comes at the opposite side. 1821 Scott Pirate xxii, He would willingly reeve a rope to the yard-arm for the benefit of an unfortunate buccanier. 1833 Marryat P. Simple (1863) 100 Double breechings were rove on the guns. |
3. a. To fit (a block) with a rope by reeving; to attach in this way; to tie.
| 1639 R. Gibson in Harper's Mag. (1883) Mar. 597/2 The block was reeved at the mainyard to have ducked her. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §143 Those blocks being reeved and brought together. Ibid. Expl. Pl. 18 The greater sheaves are reeved as far as can be on them. 1807 Vancouver Agric. Devon 130 A hook, reeved at one end of the tackle⁓rope, takes the middle band. 1850 Scoresby Cheever's Whalem. Adv. iii. 37 They proceeded to reeve the huge blocks that are always made fast..to the fore and main mast head. 1895 Crockett Men of Moss-hags li. 365 Nigh halfway up the steep bank stood our little Margaret, loosely reeved to a sunken stob. |
b. Of a rope: To pass through (a block).
| 1775 N. D. Falck Day's Diving Vessel 27 Above and below were eyes on each side, through which went the rope that reeved the block. |
c. transf. Of a ship: To thread (shoals or ice-pack).
| 1860 Merc. Marine Mag. VII. 122 After a day of hair-breadth escapes, literally reeving the shoals, by conning from the mast-head and jib-boom, the fair channel was reached. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. 566 Reeving, in polar voyaging, following up serpentine channels in the ice, till the vessel reaches open water, or reeves the pack. |
d. fig. To gather together.
| 1876 G. M. Hopkins Wreck of Deutschland xii, in Poems (1967) 55 Yet did the dark side of the bay of thy blessing Not vault them, the millions of rounds of thy mercy not reeve even them in? |
Hence reeved (riːvd), ppl. a.
| 1775 N. D. Falck Day's Diving Vessel 51 Reeve them at an equal distance,..tie the reeved parts together with a rope⁓yarn. |
▪ V. reeve, v.2 Now only dial.
(riːv)
[Of obscure origin.]
= ree v. Hence ˈreeving vbl. n.2 (also in comb. reeving-sieve).
| 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 74/1 Reeving, is to sift the Corn, to cleanse it from small seeds. Ibid. 331/1 The Reeving Sieve is to cleanse Corn at the time of Winnowing from the dreggs of Chaff. 1820 Wilbraham Chesh. Gloss. (ed. 2), Reeve, to separate corn that has been winnowed from the small seeds which are among it; this is done with what they call the reeving sieve. 1880 W. Cornw. Gloss., Reeve, to separate by means of a sieve [etc.]. 1886 Elworthy W. Som. Word-bk., Reive. Ibid., Reiving-zieve. |
▪ VI. reeve, v.3 dial.
(riːv)
[Of obscure origin.]
intr. To twine, twist, wind or unwind.
| 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 114 Medicinal betony, By thy wood-side railings, reeves With antique mullein's flannel-leaves. 1876 S. C. J. Ingham White Cross & Dove of Pearls xliii. 281 How difficult it was..to keep the threads from twitching and the silk from reeving. 1890 Gloucestersh. Gloss., Reeve,..to twist round, unwind. |