Collins English-English Dictionary

grave [greɪv]

1. 1. n a place for the burial of a corpse, esp beneath the ground and usually marked by a tombstone

2. 2. n something resembling a grave or resting place

   the ship went to its grave

3. 3. n a poetic term for death

4. 4. n [Etymology] Old English græf; related to Old Frisian gref, Old High German grab, Old Slavonic grobu; see grave³

grave [greɪv]

1. 1. adj serious and solemn

   a grave look

2. 2. adj full of or suggesting danger

   a grave situation

3. 3. adj important; crucial

   grave matters of state

4. 4. adj (of colours) sober or dull

5. 5. adj [also gr@:v] [phonetics] (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

6. 6. adj 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 circumflex

7. 7. n [also gr@:v] a grave accent

8. 8. n [Etymology] C16: from Old French, from Latin gravis; related to Greek barus heavy; see gravamen

grave [greɪv]

1. 1. vt. [tr] [archaic] to cut, carve, sculpt, or engrave

2. 2. vt. to fix firmly in the mind

3. 3. vt. [Etymology] Old English grafan; related to Old Norse grafa, Old High German graban to dig

grave [greɪv]

1. 1. vt. [tr] [nautical] to clean and apply a coating of pitch to (the bottom of a vessel)

2. 2. vt. [Etymology] C15: perhaps from Old French grave gravel

grave ['grɑːvɪ]

1. 1. adv [music] to be performed in a solemn manner

2. 2. adv [Etymology] C17: from Italian: heavy, from Latin gravis