cloven

Multiple Entries:
  cloven    cleave  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
cloven/ˈkləʊv(ə)n/

past participle of cleave1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
cleave1

▶verb (past clove or cleft or cleaved; past part. cloven or cleft or cleaved)

• 1 split or sever along a natural grain or line.

  ■ split (a molecule) by breaking a particular chemical bond.

  ■ Biology (of a cell) divide.

• 2 move through (something) forcefully: they watched a coot cleave the smooth water.

– derivatives
cleavable adjective.

– origin OE clēofan, of Gmc origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
cleave2

▶verb (cleave to) literary

• 1 stick fast to.

• 2 adhere strongly to or become very involved with: most schools cleave strongly to received policy.

– origin OE cleofian, clifian, clīfan, of W. Gmc origin; rel. to clay and climb.