Etymology
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reeve (n.)

"steward," Middle English reve, refe, reive, rive, from Old English gerefa "king's officer," an Anglo-Saxon official of high rank, having local jurisdiction under a king, usually charged with administration of the affairs of a town or district. A word of unknown origin and with no known cognates, it is not considered to be connected to German Graf (see margrave). Compare sheriff. In Middle English also of manorial managers (c. 1300), an agent or steward of God (late 14c.). The mid-15c. "Life of St. Norbert" calls the Devil a wikkid reue. Related: Reeveship.

Entries linking to reeve

margrave (n.)

German title equivalent to count or earl, originally (from the time of Charlemagne) "military governor of a border province," but the office soon became hereditary in the Holy Roman Empire, 1550s, from Middle Dutch marcgrave (Dutch markgraaf), literally "count of the border," from Old High German marcgravo; second element from graf "count, earl" (Old High German gravo, gravjo), according to Boutkan a designation of rank that developed in Franconian, probably based on Medieval Latin -gravius, from Greek grapheus "scribe." For first element see mark (n.1). Equivalent of marquis. His wife was a margravine.

sheriff (n.)
late Old English scirgerefa "representative of royal authority in a shire," from scir (see shire) + gerefa "chief, official, reeve" (see reeve). As an American county official, attested from 1660s; sheriff's sale first recorded 1798. Sheriff's tooth (late 14c.) was a common name for the annual tax levied to pay for the sheriff's victuals during court sessions.

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Definitions of reeve
1
reeve (v.)
pass a rope through;
reeve an opening
reeve (v.)
pass through a hole or opening;
reeve a rope
reeve (v.)
fasten by passing through a hole or around something;
2
reeve (n.)
female ruff;
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near reeve

re-entry

re-establish

reet

re-evaluate

re-evaluation

reeve

re-examine

re-experience

re-export

ref

refashion

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