reeve
/ɹiːv/noun, verb
reeve is spelled R-E-E-V-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, reeve means “Any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of reeve is reeves.
How many letters and syllables are in reeve?
| Letters | 5: R-E-E-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 32,393rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is reeve?
Reeve appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce reeve?
- /ɹiːv/
Reeve has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-reeve.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with reeve
Sounds like: reave (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of reeve
- reeves plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- reeving participle, present
- reeved participle, past
- rove participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does reeve mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities.
- 2
CanadaThe president of a township or municipal district council.
- 3
The holder of a proposed but unadopted commissioned rank of the Royal Air Force, equivalent to wing commander.
- 4
A female of the species Philomachus pugnax, a highly gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia; the male is a ruff.
verb
- 1
To pass (a rope) through a hole or opening, especially so as to fasten it.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Reeve in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense Translations:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Graf |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does reeve come from?
From Middle English reve, from Old English rēfa, an aphetism of ġerēfa (also grœ̄fa), from Proto-West Germanic *garāfijō (“officer, official”). Compare Danish greve, Swedish greve, Dutch graaf, German Graf. The role, and eventually the word, was mostly replaced by bailiff, of Anglo-Norman origin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).