Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

theave

/θiːv/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: theave
IPA: /θiːv/

12

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A ewe lamb of a specific age; in some areas, applied to lambs in their the first or second year (before they have had lambs themselves), in others to lambs in their third year, before their second shearing.

British usage

Example Sentences

"The ewes by them-selfe, the share-hogges and theyues by them selfe"
"Comprising eleven calved and in-calf cows and heifers, three barren cows, […] fifteen in-lamb ewes and theaves, […] yearling draught colt and filly, pony, yearling fummel, mare ass in-foal to a pony, two waggons, […]"
"A dorring drush in the caddled yew. / A seance o' theaves beneath the woak."

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English theve (“young ewe”), from Old English *þeofu, from Proto-West Germanic *þebu.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: theve, *þeofu, *þebu

Usage

British usage

Inflected Forms

theaves (plural) thaive (alternative) thave (alternative)

Homonyms

thieve

Questions

How do you pronounce theave?: The recorded pronunciation is /θiːv/.
What does theave mean?: A ewe lamb of a specific age; in some areas, applied to lambs in their the first or second year (before they have had lambs themselves), in others to lambs in their third year, before their second shearing.
Where does theave come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce theave

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “theave”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/θiːv/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “theave”.
Repeat and practice — Say “theave” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.