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clever
clev·er / ˈklevər/ • adj. (clev·er·er , clev·er·est ) quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent. ∎ skilled at doing or achieving something; talented: she is clever with her hands. ∎ (of a thing, action, or idea) showing intelligence or skill; ingenious. ∎ superficially ingenious or witty: a story too clever to be real. ∎ dated inf. sensible; well-advised: it wasn't too clever, leaving Dolly alone. DERIVATIVES: clev·er·ly adv. clev·er·ness n. ORIGIN: Middle English (in the sense ‘quick to catch hold,’ only recorded in this period): perhaps of Dutch or Low German origin, and related to cleave2 . In the late 16th cent. the term came to mean (probably through dialect use) ‘manually skillful’; the sense ‘possessing mental agility’ dates from the early 18th cent. |
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"clever." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "clever." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-clever.html "clever." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-clever.html |
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clever
clever adroit, dexterous (XIII?) XVI; (dial.) nimble, active; lithe, handsome XVII; (dial.) convenient, agreeable, nice XVIII. The context of the earliest ex. (in the form cliuer) suggests etym. connection with †cliver claw, as if ‘sharp to seize’; rare Sc. cleverous apt to seize, similarly assoc. with cluik claw, precedes the earliest ex. of clever in the mod. period. Cf. LG. klöver, klever, MDu. klever sprightly, smart.
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T. F. HOAD. "clever." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "clever." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-clever.html T. F. HOAD. "clever." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-clever.html |
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clever
clever
•cadaver, slaver
•halva, salver, salvor
•balaclava, Bratislava, carver, cassava, Costa Brava, guava, Java, kava, larva, lava, palaver
•woodcarver
•clever, endeavour (US endeavor), ever, forever, however, howsoever, never, never-never, sever, Trevor, whatever, whatsoever, whenever, whensoever, wheresoever, wherever, whichever, whichsoever, whoever, whomever, whomsoever, whosoever
•delver, elver
•Denver
•Ava, caver, craver, deva, engraver, enslaver, favour (US favor), flavour (US flavor), graver, haver, laver, paver, quaver, raver, saver, savour (US savor), shaver, vena cava, waiver, waver
•lifesaver • semiquaver
•achiever, beaver, believer, cleaver, deceiver, diva, Eva, fever, Geneva, griever, heaver, leaver, lever, Neva, perceiver, receiver, reiver, reliever, retriever, Shiva, underachiever, viva, weaver, weever
•cantilever
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Cite this article
"clever." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "clever." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-clever.html "clever." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-clever.html |
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