graven

[ grey-vuh n ]
/ ˈgreɪ vən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR graven ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

a past participle of grave3.

adjective

deeply impressed; firmly fixed.
carved; sculptured: a graven idol.

Origin of graven

1200–50; Middle English. See grave3, -en3

OTHER WORDS FROM graven

non·grav·en, adjective un·grav·en, adjective well-grav·en, adjective

Words nearby graven

gravel-blind, gravel-voiced, graveldiver, gravelly, gravely, graven, graven image, gravenhage, gravenhage, 's, graveolent, graver

Definition for graven (2 of 3)

grave 3
[ greyv ]
/ greɪv /

verb (used with object), graved, grav·en or graved, grav·ing.

to carve, sculpt, or engrave.
to impress deeply: graven on the mind.

Origin of grave

3
before 1000; Middle English graven, Old English grafan; cognate with German graben

OTHER WORDS FROM grave

grav·er, noun

Definition for graven (3 of 3)

grave 4
[ greyv ]
/ greɪv /

verb (used with object), graved, grav·ing. Nautical.

to clean and apply a protective composition of tar to (the bottom of a ship).

Origin of grave

4
1425–75; late Middle English; perhaps akin to gravel

Words related to graven

carved, etched

Example sentences from the Web for graven

British Dictionary definitions for graven (1 of 6)

graven
/ (ˈɡreɪvən) /

verb

a past participle of grave 3

adjective

strongly fixed

British Dictionary definitions for graven (2 of 6)

grave 1
/ (ɡreɪv) /

noun

a place for the burial of a corpse, esp beneath the ground and usually marked by a tombstone Related adjective: sepulchral
something resembling a grave or resting place the ship went to its grave
the grave a poetic term for death
have one foot in the grave informal to be near death
to make someone turn in his grave or to make someone turn over in his grave to do something that would have shocked or distressed (someone now dead) many modern dictionaries would make Dr Johnson turn in his grave

Word Origin for grave

Old English græf; related to Old Frisian gref, Old High German grab, Old Slavonic grobǔ; see grave ³

British Dictionary definitions for graven (3 of 6)

grave 2
/ (ɡreɪv) /

adjective

serious and solemn a grave look
full of or suggesting danger a grave situation
important; crucial grave matters of state
(of colours) sober or dull
phonetics
  1. (of a vowel or syllable in some languages with a pitch accent, such as ancient Greek) spoken on a lower or falling musical pitch relative to neighbouring syllables or vowels
  2. of or relating to an accent (`) over vowels, denoting a pronunciation with lower or falling musical pitch (as in ancient Greek), with certain special quality (as in French), or in a manner that gives the vowel status as a syllable nucleus not usually possessed by it in that position (as in English agèd)Compare acute (def. 8), circumflex

noun

a grave accent

Derived forms of grave

gravely, adverb graveness, noun

Word Origin for grave

C16: from Old French, from Latin gravis; related to Greek barus heavy; see gravamen

British Dictionary definitions for graven (4 of 6)

grave 3
/ (ɡreɪv) /

verb graves, graving, graved, graved or graven (tr) archaic

to cut, carve, sculpt, or engrave
to fix firmly in the mind

Word Origin for grave

Old English grafan; related to Old Norse grafa, Old High German graban to dig

British Dictionary definitions for graven (5 of 6)

grave 4
/ (ɡreɪv) /

verb

(tr) nautical to clean and apply a coating of pitch to (the bottom of a vessel)

Word Origin for grave

C15: perhaps from Old French grave gravel

British Dictionary definitions for graven (6 of 6)

grave 5
/ (ˈɡrɑːvɪ) /

adjective, adverb

music to be performed in a solemn manner

Word Origin for grave

C17: from Italian: heavy, from Latin gravis

Medical definitions for graven

grave
[ grāv ]

adj.

Serious or dangerous, as a symptom or disease.

Idioms and Phrases with graven

grave

see dig one's own grave; from the cradle to the grave; one foot in the grave; turn in one's grave.