Cleave can split.
Cleave can cling.

English cleave can mean to split apart or to adhere firmly. The senses come from different historical roots.

Opposite-looking meanings
can have separate histories.

Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0

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cleave · Wikimedia contributors

Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Reviewed: 2026-09-30

Cleave can split.Cleave can cling.