v. Pa. t. and pa. pple. bereaved; pa. pple. also bereft. Forms: 1 beréafian, 2–3 biræuien, 2–6 bireve, 3 bireave(n, 3–4 birefe(n, 4–6 byreve, bereve, 5 berefe, bereffe, byreeve, 6 bereeve, (berive, byryve), 6–7 berieve, 7 bereauve, 6– bereave. Pa. t., 1 bereafode, 2–3 bereafde, beræfde, 2–4 biræuede, bireuede, 4 birefte, 4–5 byrafte, 4–6 beraft(e, berefte, 5 berafft, berefte, 5– bereft, 6– bereaved. Pa. pple. 6– bereaved, bereft. Early forms corres. to pa. t.; also 6–7 bereiven, 6–9 bereaven. [Com. Teut.: OE. bi-, beréafian = OFris. birâv(i)a, OS. birôƀôn, (MDu. beroven, Du. berooven), OHG. biroubôn, (MHG. berouben, mod.G. berauben), Goth. biraubôn:—OTeut. *birauƀôjan, f. bi-, BE- + *rauƀôjan, in OE. réafian to plunder, spoil, rob; see REAVE v.]
1. trans. To deprive, rob, strip, dispossess (a person, etc., of a possession; the latter orig. expressed by the genitive). Since c. 1650 mostly of immaterial possessions, life, hope, etc., except in reference to the loss of relatives by death. (In the former case bereft, in the latter bereaved, is more usual in the pa. t. and pa. pple.)
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., v. § 3. Heo hit ne mæʓ his ʓewittes bereafian.
c. 1205. Lay., 2896. Þus wes þas kineriche · of heora kinge biræued [1250 bireued].
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6671. Lest they berafte … Folk of her catel or of her thing.
1529. More, Conf. agst. Trib., II. Wks. 1183/2. He hadde awaken hym out of hys sleepe, and byreued hym of hys rest.
1577. Harrison, England, II. xx. 330. Beereving some fruits of their kernels.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., III. ii. 177. Madam, you have bereft me of all words.
1622. Heylin, Cosmogr., I. (1682), 104. They bereaved the women … of the hair of their heads.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, Wks. (1711), 17. That angel’s face hath me of rest bereaven.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, II. 106. It is there bereft of all its volatile parts.
1833. H. Coleridge, Poems, I. 143. Ere thy birth, of sire bereaven.
1841. D’Israeli, Amen. Lit. (1867), 222. The accident which had bereaved the father of his child.
† b. with at for of. Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 30311. Ic hine biræuien wulle · at his baren liue [1250 bireaue … of his bare liue].
c. with double object (to bereave any one a possession), the former probably at first dative. In the passive the impersonal object was originally the subject, but in 17th c. either object might be so used. arch.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 33. Hie him bireueden alle hise riche weden.
c. 1200. Ormin, 2832. Himm wass hiss spæche … all biræfedd.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 503. His sleep, his mete, his drynk is him byraft.
1530. Elyot, Gov., I. xii. Enuy had … bireft hym his lyfe.
1557. K. Arth. (Copland), I. vii. Many landes that were bereued lordes, knyghtes, ladyes and gentylmen.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. i. 85. All your Interest in those Territories Is utterly bereft you.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 918. Bereaue me not … thy gentle looks, thy aid.
1806. Scott, Wandering Willie, 1. All joy was bereft me the day that you left me.
2. To rob, plunder, despoil (a possessor); to deprive of anything valued; to leave destitute, orphaned or widowed. See also BEREAVED.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 79. Ho him bireueden and ho him ferwundeden.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 124. I was ofte berevyd.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xiv. (1632), 763. The King bereauving enemies, to enrich his friends.
1867. G. Macdonald, Poems, 10. I cry to thee with all my might Because I am bereft.
† 3. To snatch away (a possession); to remove or take away by violence. Obs.
c. 1320. Cast. Loue, 1349. Þe meste strengþe he al bi-reuede.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sompn. T., 403. Who so wold us fro the world byreve … He wolde byreve out of this world the sonne.
1561. Norton & Sackv., Gorboduc, IV. i. (1847), 132. Whome no mishap … could haue bereued hence.
c. 1600. Death Jane Seymour, in Evans, O. Ball. (1784), II. viii. 57. He from this joy was soon bereav’n.
a. 1617. Bayne, On Eph. (1658), 13. When the blessings of this life are bereaved.
a. 1622. Wither, Brit. Rememb., 170. Have … (Like Iezabell) oppressed and bereav’n The poore mans portion.
1718. Pope, Iliad, XX. 549. Thy life, Echechus! next the sword bereaves.
† b. Const. from a possessor. Obs.
c. 1440. Partonope, 3267. This craft Ye haue clene from me beraft.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 109. Fro the thyrde [knight] he berafte his sholder with the arme.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 835. From me by strong assault it is bereft.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Ivstine, 119 a. They wold bereaue kingdomes from these kings in despight of them.
