Definition

1. Noun:

   • A historical administrative officer: In medieval England, a "reeve" was a local official, often the chief magistrate of a town or district.
   • A council president: In some Canadian municipalities, a "reeve" is the elected head of a township or town council.

2. Verb (rove, reeved; rove, reeved):

   • To fasten by threading: To pass a rope or line through a hole, ring, or block and secure it.
   • To pass through an opening: To thread something, especially a rope, through an aperture.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The village reeve collected taxes and enforced the lord's laws.
  • She was elected reeve of the township for three consecutive terms.

• Verb:

  • The sailor reeved the line through the pulley.
  • You must reeve this cable through the eyelet before securing it.

Advanced Usage

• "To reeve a rope": A standard nautical phrase meaning to thread a rope through a block or fairlead.

  • Before hoisting the sail, you need to reeve the rope through the block at the top of the mast.

• "To reeve to": To fasten something by threading a rope to it.

  • They reeved the hawser to the dock cleat.

Variants and Related Words

• Reeveship (n): The office, jurisdiction, or period in office of a reeve.
  • His reeveship was marked by significant infrastructure improvements.

Synonyms

• Noun (official): Bailiff, magistrate, steward.
• Verb (thread): Thread, pass, feed.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs.)

Related Idioms

(This word is not commonly used in idioms.)

Noun

1. female ruff

Verb

1. fasten by passing through a hole or around something
2. pass through a hole or opening
   • reeve a rope
3. pass a rope through
   • reeve an opening