First published 1900; not yet revised More entries for "grave"

graveadjective2

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency
Compounds & derived words

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Factsheet

What does the adjective grave mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the adjective grave. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

See meaning & use

How common is the adjective grave?

About 0.06occurrences per million words in modern written English

1750	0.12
1760	0.11
1770	0.11
1780	0.11
1790	0.11
1800	0.11
1810	0.12
1820	0.12
1830	0.13
1840	0.14
1850	0.16
1860	0.17
1870	0.18
1880	0.18
1890	0.18
1900	0.17
1910	0.16
1920	0.15
1930	0.14
1940	0.12
1950	0.1
1960	0.09
1970	0.077
1980	0.067
1990	0.061
2000	0.053
2010	0.048

See frequency

How is the adjective grave pronounced?

British English

/ɡrav/

See pronunciation

Where does the adjective grave come from?

Earliest known use

late 1600s

The earliest known use of the adjective grave is in the late 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for grave is from 1683, in the writing of Henry Purcell, organist and composer.

grave is a borrowing from Italian.

Etymons: Italian grave.

See etymology

Nearby entries

grauwacke, n.1794–
gravamen, n.1602–
gravament, n.1537
gravaminous, adj.1659–1721
gravative, adj.1572–1710
grave, n.¹Old English–
grave, n.²Old English–1300
grave, n.³c1175–
grave, n.⁴1606–75
grave, adj.¹ & n.⁵1541–
grave, adj.²1683–
grave, v.¹Old English–
grave, v.²1461–
grave, v.³1864–
grave-board, n.1851–
grave-clad, adj.a1802–
grave-cloth, n.1646–
grave-clothes, n.1535–
grave-cover, n.1875–
graved, adj.a1547–
grave-deep, adj.1850–

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Entry history for grave, adj.²

grave, adj.² was first published in 1900; not yet revised.

grave, adj.² was last modified in July 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into grave, adj.² in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1900)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View grave, a.² in OED Second Edition

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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for grave, adj.²

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Nearby entries

grauwacke, n.1794–
gravamen, n.1602–
gravament, n.1537
gravaminous, adj.1659–1721
gravative, adj.1572–1710
grave, n.¹Old English–
grave, n.²Old English–1300
grave, n.³c1175–
grave, n.⁴1606–75
grave, adj.¹ & n.⁵1541–
grave, adj.²1683–
grave, v.¹Old English–
grave, v.²1461–
grave, v.³1864–
grave-board, n.1851–
grave-clad, adj.a1802–
grave-cloth, n.1646–
grave-clothes, n.1535–
grave-cover, n.1875–
graved, adj.a1547–
grave-deep, adj.1850–

Browse more nearby entries