weave
pronunciation
How to pronounce weave in British English:
UK [wiːv]
How to pronounce weave in American English:
US [wiːv]
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- Noun:
- pattern of weaving or structure of a fabric
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- Verb:
- interlace by or as it by weaving
- create a piece of cloth by interlacing strands of fabric, such as wool or cotton
- sway to and fro
- to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
Word Origin
- weave
- weave: English has two distinct verbs weave, but they have grown to resemble each other closely over the centuries. Weave ‘make cloth’ [OE] goes back to a prehistoric Germanic *weben, which also produced German weben, Dutch weven, Swedish väva, and Danish voeve. It was formed from the base *web-, *wab- (source also of English wafer, web, and weft [OE]), which in turn went back to Indo-European *webh-, *wobh-, probable source of English wasp. Weave ‘take a zigzag course’ [13] was probably borrowed from Old Norse veifa.This was descended from prehistoric Germanic *weibjan, which came from the Indo-European base *weib-, *wib- ‘move quickly’ (source also of English vibrate, whip, and wipe). At first it meant ‘move about, travel’ (‘Then the evil ghost fares out of the man and weaves wide … seeking rest’, 11th-century English poem). The notion of ‘moving from side to side, threading one’s way’ did not emerge until the 16th century, presumably through the influence of the other verb weave.=> wafer, wasp, web, weft; vibrate, whip, wipe
- weave (v.1)
- Old English wefan "to weave, form by interlacing yarn," figuratively "devise, contrive, arrange" (class V strong verb; past tense wæf, past participle wefen), from Proto-Germanic *weban (cognates: Old Norse vefa, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Dutch weven, Old High German weban, German weben "to weave"), from PIE *webh- "to weave;" also "to move quickly" (cognates: Sanskrit ubhnati "he laces together," Persian baftan "to weave," Greek hyphe, hyphos "web," Old English webb "web"). The form of the past tense altered in Middle English from wave to wove. Extended sense of "combine into a whole" is from late 14c.; meaning "go by twisting and turning" is from 1640s. Related: Wove; woven; weaving.
- weave (n.)
- 1580s, "something woven," from weave (v.). Meaning "method or pattern of weaving" is from 1888.
- weave (v.2)
- c. 1200, "to move from one place to another," of uncertain origin, perhaps from weave (v.1). From early 14c. as "move to and fro;" 1590s as "move side to side." Use in boxing is from 1818. Related: Weaved; weaving.
Example
- 1. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life .
- 2. Larval and nymphal ticks may penetrate a coarse weave sock .
- 3. I think you can weave a story around this incident .
- 4. Mr franklin 's intention was to weave the black experience back into the national story .
- 5. It may weave a spell of nostalgia .