cleave
verb (cleaved, cleaved) HELP NOTE Less commonly, cleft are used for the past tense, and cleft for the past participle. 1 [VN] (old-fashioned or literary) to split or cut sth in two using sth sharp and heavy: She cleaved his skull (in two) with an axe. (figurative) His skin was cleft with deep lines. 2 ~ (through) sth (old-fashioned or literary) to move quickly through sth: [V] a ship cleaving through the water [VN] The huge boat cleaved the darkness. to cleave a path through the traffic 3 ~ to sb/sth [V] (literary) to stick close to sth/sb: Her tongue clove to the roof of her mouth. 4 (cleaved, cleaved) [V] (formal) to continue to believe in or be loyal to sth: to cleave to a belief / idea IDIOMS see CLEFT