grave

grave space excavated in the earth or rock for the burial of a corpse. When a grave is marked by a protective or memorial structure it is often referred to as a tomb . See burial ; funeral customs .

grave1 place dug out for a burial. OE. græf = OS. graf, OHG. grap (G. grab) :- WGmc. *ʒraba (cf. ON. grǫf, Goth. graba :- *ʒraðō); f. *ʒrað- GRAVE2.

grave¹ / grāv/ • n. a place of burial for a dead body, typically a hole dug in the ground and marked by a stone or mound: the coffin was lowered into the grave. ∎  (the grave) used as an allusive term for death: life beyond the grave. ∎  a place where a broken piece of machinery or other discarded object lies: lift the aircraft from its watery grave. PHRASES: dig one's own grave do something foolish that causes one to fail or be ruined. (as) silent (or quiet) as the grave extremely quiet. take the (or one's, etc.) secret to the grave die without revealing a secret. turn (also turn over) in one's grave used to express the opinion that something would have caused anger or distress to someone who is now dead: Bach must be turning in his grave at the vulgarities of the twentieth century. grave² • adj. giving cause for alarm; serious: a matter of grave concern. ∎  serious or solemn in manner or appearance; somber: his face was grave. • n. also / gräv/ another term for grave accent. DERIVATIVES: grave·ly adv. grave·ness n. grave³ • v. (past part. grav·en / ˈgrāvən/ or graved) [tr.] archaic engrave (an inscription or image) on a surface. ∎ poetic/lit. fix (something) indelibly in the mind: the times are graven on my memory. grave⁴ • v. [tr.] hist. clean (a ship's bottom) by burning off the accretions and then tarring it.