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Crevice vs Cleave - What's the difference?

crevice | cleave |

As nouns the difference between crevice and cleave

is that crevice is a narrow crack or fissure, as in a rock or wall while cleave is (technology) flat, smooth surface produced by cleavage, or any similar surface produced by similar techniques, as in glass.

As verbs the difference between crevice and cleave

is that crevice is to crack; to flaw while cleave is to split or sever something with, or as if with, a sharp instrument or cleave can be to cling, adhere or stick fast to something; used with to or unto.

crevice

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A narrow crack or fissure, as in a rock or wall.
  • * Tennyson
  • The mouse, / Behind the moldering wainscot, shrieked, / Or from the crevice peered about.
  • * William Butler Yeats
  • I can't tell you how urbane and sprightly the old poll parrot was; and not a pocket, not a crevice , of pomp, humbug, respectability in him: he was fresh as a daisy.

    Verb

    (crevic)
  • To crack; to flaw.
  • (Webster 1913)

    cleave

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) cleven, from the (etyl) strong verb .

    Verb

  • To split or sever something with, or as if with, a sharp instrument.
  • The wings cleaved the foggy air.
  • * Shakespeare
  • O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.
  • (mineralogy) To break a single crystal (such as a gemstone or semiconductor wafer) along one of its more symmetrical crystallographic planes (often by impact), forming facets on the resulting pieces.
  • To make or accomplish by or as if by cutting.
  • The truck cleaved a path through the ice.
  • (chemistry) To split (a complex molecule) into simpler molecules.
  • To split.
  • (mineralogy) Of a crystal, to split along a natural plane of division.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (technology) Flat, smooth surface produced by cleavage, or any similar surface produced by similar techniques, as in glass.
  • Derived terms

    * (l)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) cleofian, from (etyl) . Cognates include German kleben, Dutch kleven.

    Verb

    (cleav)
  • To cling, adhere or stick fast to something; used with to or unto.