Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
sleave silk — noun Date: 1588 obsolete floss silk that is easily separated into filaments for embroidery … New Collegiate Dictionary
sleave silk — noun obsolete : floss silk that is easily separated into filaments for embroidery … Useful english dictionary
sleave-silk — … Useful english dictionary
Sleave — (sl[=e]v), n. [Cf. Dan. sl[ o]if, a knot loop, Sw. slejf, G. schleife a knot, sliding knot, and E. slip, v.i.] (a) The knotted or entangled part of silk or thread. (b) Silk not yet twisted; floss; called also {sleave silk}. [1913 Webster] Sleep… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
sleave — [slēv] n. [< OE slæfan, to separate; akin to slifan: see SLIVER] 1. Obs. a) a fine silk thread separated from a large thread b) untwisted silk that tends to mat or tangle; floss 2. Rare any tangle, as of ravelings vt. sleave … English World dictionary
sleave — [[t]sliv[/t]] v. sleaved, sleav•ing, n. 1) tex to divide or separate into filaments, as silk 2) anything matted or raveled 3) tex a filament of silk obtained by separating a thicker thread 4) tex a silk in the form of such filaments, esp. a floss … From formal English to slang
sleave — I. noun Etymology: 2sleave Date: 1591 archaic skein < sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care Shakespeare > II. transitive verb Etymology: Middle English *sleven, from Old English slǣfan to cut … New Collegiate Dictionary
sleave — I. ˈslēv verb ( ed/ ing/ s) Etymology: from (assumed) Middle English sleven, from (assumed) Old English slǣfan to cut (whence tōslǣfan to cut up); akin to Old English tōslīfan to split more at slive transitiv … Useful english dictionary
sleave — /sleev/, v., sleaved, sleaving, n. v.t. 1. to divide or separate into filaments, as silk. n. 2. anything matted or raveled. 3. a filament of silk obtained by separating a thicker thread. 4. a silk in the form of such filaments. [1585 95; OE… … Universalium
sleave — /sliv/ (say sleev) verb (t) (sleaved, sleaving) 1. to divide or separate into filaments, as silk. –noun 2. a filament of silk obtained by separating a thicker thread. 3. a silk in the form of such filaments. 4. Poetic, Literature anything matted… …
