Bereave

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: be=reave

CIDE DICTIONARY

Bereave, v. t. [OE. bireven, AS. bereáfian. See Be-, and Reave.].

•  To make destitute; to deprive; to strip; -- with of before the person or thing taken away.  [1913 Webster]

  "Madam, you have bereft me of all words."  [1913 Webster]

  "Bereft of him who taught me how to sing."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take away from.  [1913 Webster]

  "All your interest in those territories
  Is utterly bereft you; all is lost."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take away.  [1913 Webster]

  " The imp. and past pple. form bereaved is not used in reference to immaterial objects. We say bereaved or bereft by death of a relative, bereft of hope and strength."  [1913 Webster]

  "Shall move you to bereave my life."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To dispossess; to divest.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Bereave, v.tr. (esp. as bereaved adj.) (foll. by of) deprive of a relation, friend, etc., esp. by death.

Derivative

bereavement n.

Etymology

OE bereafian (as BE-, REAVE)

THESAURUS

Bereave

abridge, bleed, curtail, cut off, deprive, deprive of, disentitle, disinherit, dispossess, divest, drain, ease one of, leave, leave behind, lighten one of, lose, milk, mine, orphan, oust, rob, strip, take away from, take from, tap, widow

ROGET THESAURUS

Bereave

Taking

VB take, catch, hook, nab, bag, sack, pocket, put into one's pocket, receive, accept, reap, crop, cull, pluck, gather, draw, appropriate, expropriate, impropriate, assume, possess oneself of, take possession of, commandeer, lay one's hands on, clap one's hands on, help oneself to, make free with, dip one's hands into, lay under contribution, intercept, scramble for, deprive of, take away, carry away, bear away, take off, carry off, bear off, adeem, abstract, hurry off with, run away with, abduct, steal, ravish, seize, pounce upon, spring upon, swoop to, swoop down upon, take by storm, take by assault, snatch, reave, snap up, nip up, whip up, catch up, kidnap, crimp, capture, lay violent hands on, get hold of, lay hold of, take hold of, catch hold of, lay fast hold of, take firm hold of, lay by the heels, take prisoner, fasten upon, grip, grapple, embrace, gripe, clasp, grab, clutch, collar, throttle, take by the throat, claw, clinch, clench, make sure of, catch at, jump at, make a grab at, snap at, snatch at, reach, make a long arm, stretch forth one's hand, take from, take away from, disseize, deduct, retrench, dispossess, ease one of, snatch from one's grasp, tear from, tear away from, wrench from, wrest from, wring from, extort, deprive of, bereave, disinherit, cut off with a shilling, oust, divest, levy, distrain, confiscate, sequester, sequestrate, accroach, usurp, despoil, strip, fleece, shear, displume, impoverish, eat out of house and home, drain, drain to the dregs, gut, dry, exhaust, swallow up, absorb, draw off, suck the blood of, suck like a leech, retake, resume, recover.