Wordnet 3.0
VERB (1)
1.
deprive through death;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Bereave \Be*reave"\ (b[-e]*r[=e]v"), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Bereaved (b[-e]*r[=e]vd"), Bereft (b[-e]*r[e^]ft"); p.
pr. & vb. n. Bereaving.] [OE. bireven, AS. bere['a]fian.
See Be-, and Reave.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To make destitute; to deprive; to strip; -- with of before
the person or thing taken away.
[1913 Webster]
Madam, you have bereft me of all words. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Bereft of him who taught me how to sing. --Tickell.
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2. To take away from. [Obs.]
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All your interest in those territories
Is utterly bereft you; all is lost. --Shak.
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3. To take away. [Obs.]
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Shall move you to bereave my life. --Marlowe.
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Note: The imp. and past pple. form bereaved is not used in
reference to immaterial objects. We say bereaved or
bereft by death of a relative, bereft of hope and
strength.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: To dispossess; to divest.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
bereave
v 1: deprive through death
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
26 Moby Thesaurus words for "bereave":
abridge, bleed, curtail, cut off, deprive, deprive of, disentitle,
disinherit, dispossess, divest, drain, ease one of, leave,
leave behind, lighten one of, lose, milk, mine, orphan, oust, rob,
strip, take away from, take from, tap, widow