A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1600-1610
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Keave, v. [Cf. ON. kafa to dive under water, etc., and kefja to dip, put under water; also mod. Cheshire dial. keeve, keive to topple over, and Shetland dial. kev, kev ower to drop off (with sleep). See also Cave v. 1.] intr. Of a person: To fall or topple (back) over helplessly. — 1600-1610 Melvill 50.
Sitting down on a bedsyde, he keaves bak ower, sa that his feit stak out stiff and dead 1600-1610 Ib. 169.
The hat rowing, and the stope with the stark eall besyd him, maid him atteance to keave ower aslipe
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"Keave v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/keave>
