bereave: Meaning and Definition of

be•reave

Pronunciation: (bi-rēv'), [key]
— -reaved -reft, -reav•ing.
  1. to deprive and make desolate, esp. by death (usually fol. by of&hasp;): Illness bereaved them of their mother.
  2. to deprive ruthlessly or by force (usually fol. by of&hasp;): The war bereaved them of their home.
  3. to take away by violence.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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