noun, verb — 5 senses
/ɹiːv/
Etymology From Middle English reve, from Old English rēfa, an aphetism of ġerēfa (also grœ̄fa), from Proto-West Germanic *garāfijō (“officer, official”). Compare Danish greve, Swedish greve, Dutch graaf, German Graf. The role, and eventually the word, was mostly replaced by bailiff, of Anglo-Norman origin.
Historical Any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities.
Canada The president of a township or municipal district council.
Government, Military, Politics, War Historical The holder of a proposed but unadopted commissioned rank of the Royal Air Force, equivalent to wing commander.
Etymology Apparent alternative form of reef (“to pull or yank strongly”, verb) or from Dutch reven (“to take in, insert”).
Nautical, Transport Dialectal To pass (a rope) through a hole or opening, especially so as to fasten it.
Etymology Variant of dialectal ree, but of obscure ultimate origin.
A female of the species Philomachus pugnax, a highly gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia; the male is a ruff.
Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.