1. [n]  a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone); "he put flowers on his mother's grave"
2. [n]  a mark (`) placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation
3. [n]  death of a person; "he went to his grave without forgiving me"; "from cradle to grave"
4. [adj]  causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; "a dangerous operation"; "a grave situation"; "a grave illness"; "grievous bodily harm"; "a serious wound"; "a serious turn of events"; "a severe case of pneumonia"
5. [adj]  of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought; "grave responsibilities"; "faced a grave decision in a time of crisis"; "a grievous fault"; "heavy matters of state"; "the weighty matters to be discussed at the peace conference"
6. [adj]  dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises; "a grave God-fearing man"; "a quiet sedate nature"; "as sober as a judge"; "a solemn promise"; "the judge was solemn as he pronounced sentence"
7. [v]  write upon; engrave a pen, for example
8. [v]  shape (a material like stone or wood) by whittling away at it; "She is sculpting the block of marble into an image of her husband"

1. \-grave\
   A final syllable signifying a ruler, as in landgrave,
   margrave. See {Margrave.}
   
   

2. \Grave\, v. t. (Naut.)
   To clean, as a vessel's bottom, of barnacles, grass, etc.,
   and pay it over with pitch; -- so called because graves or
   greaves was formerly used for this purpose.
   
   

3. \Grave\, a. [Compar. {Graver} (gr[=a]v"[~e]r); superl.
   {Gravest.}] [F., fr. L. gravis heavy; cf. It. & Sp. grave
   heavy, grave. See {Grief.}]
   1. Of great weight; heavy; ponderous. [Obs.]
   
            His shield grave and great.           --Chapman.
   
   2. Of importance; momentous; weighty; influential; sedate;
      serious; -- said of character, relations, etc.; as, grave
      deportment, character, influence, etc.
   
            Most potent, grave, and reverend seigniors. --Shak.
   
            A grave and prudent law, full of moral equity.
                                                  --Milton.
   
   3. Not light or gay; solemn; sober; plain; as, a grave color;
      a grave face.
   
   4. (Mus.)
      (a) Not acute or sharp; low; deep; -- said of sound; as, a
          grave note or key.
   
                The thicker the cord or string, the more grave
                is the note or tone.              --Moore
                                                  (Encyc. of
                                                  Music).
      (b) Slow and solemn in movement.
   
   {Grave accent}. (Pron.) See the Note under {Accent}, n., 2.
   
   Syn: Solemn; sober; serious; sage; staid; demure; thoughtful;
        sedate; weighty; momentous; important.
   
   Usage: {Grave}, {Sober}, {Serious}, {Solemn.} Sober supposes
          the absence of all exhilaration of spirits, and is
          opposed to gay or flighty; as, sober thought. Serious
          implies considerateness or reflection, and is opposed
          to jocose or sportive; as, serious and important
          concerns. Grave denotes a state of mind, appearance,
          etc., which results from the pressure of weighty
          interests, and is opposed to hilarity of feeling or
          vivacity of manner; as, a qrave remark; qrave attire.
          Solemn is applied to a case in which gravity is
          carried to its highest point; as, a solemn admonition;
          a solemn promise.
   
   

4. \Grave\, v. t. [imp. {Graved} (gr[=a]vd); p. p. {Graven}
   (gr[=a]v"'n) or {Graved}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Graving}.] [AS.
   grafan to dig, grave, engrave; akin to OFries. greva, D.
   graven, G. graben, OHG. & Goth. graban, Dan. grabe, Sw.
   gr[aum]fva, Icel. grafa, but prob. not to Gr. gra`fein to
   write, E. graphic. Cf. {Grave}, n., {Grove}, n.]
   1. To dig. [Obs.] Chaucer.
   
            He hath graven and digged up a pit.   --Ps. vii. 16
                                                  (Book of
                                                  Common
                                                  Prayer).
   
   2. To carve or cut, as letters or figures, on some hard
      substance; to engrave.
   
            Thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them
            the names of the children of Israel.  --Ex. xxviii.
                                                  9.
   
   3. To carve out or give shape to, by cutting with a chisel;
      to sculpture; as, to grave an image.
   
            With gold men may the hearte grave.   --Chaucer.
   
   4. To impress deeply (on the mind); to fix indelibly.
   
            O! may they graven in thy heart remain. --Prior.
   
   5. To entomb; to bury. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
   
            Lie full low, graved in the hollow ground. --Shak.
   
   

5. \Grave\, v. i.
   To write or delineate on hard substances, by means of incised
   lines; to practice engraving.
   
   

6. \Grave\, n. [AS. gr?f, fr. grafan to dig; akin to D. & OS.
   graf, G. grab, Icel. gr["o]f, Russ. grob' grave, coffin. See
   {Grave} to carve.]
   An excavation in the earth as a place of burial; also, any
   place of interment; a tomb; a sepulcher. Hence: Death;
   destruction.
   
         He bad lain in the grave four days.      --John xi. 17.
   
   {Grave wax}, adipocere.
   
   

Among the ancient Hebrews graves were outside of cities in the open field (Luke 7:12; John 11:30). Kings (1 Kings 2:10) and prophets (1 Sam. 25:1) were generally buried within cities. Graves were generally grottoes or caves, natural or hewn out in rocks (Isa. 22:16; Matt. 27:60). There were family cemeteries (Gen. 47:29; 50:5; 2 Sam. 19:37). Public burial-places were assigned to the poor (Jer. 26:23; 2 Kings 23:6). Graves were usually closed with stones, which were whitewashed, to warn strangers against contact with them (Matt. 23:27), which caused ceremonial pollution (Num. 19:16).

There were no graves in Jerusalem except those of the kings, and according to tradition that of the prophetess Huldah.