‖n.; pl. L. Gravamina E. Gravamens [ L., fr. gravare to load, burden, fr. gravis heavy, weighty. See Grave, a. ] (Law) The grievance complained of; the substantial cause of the action; also, in general, the ground or essence of a complaint. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Graver superl. Gravest. ] [ F., fr. L. gravis heavy; cf. It. & Sp. grave heavy, grave. See Grief. ] 1. Of great weight; heavy; ponderous. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His shield grave and great. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of importance; momentous; weighty; influential; sedate; serious; -- said of character, relations, etc.; as, grave deportment, character, influence, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Most potent, grave, and reverend seigniors. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

A grave and prudent law, full of moral equity. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not light or gay; solemn; sober; plain; as, a grave color; a grave face. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) (a) Not acute or sharp; low; deep; -- said of sound; as, a grave note or key. [ 1913 Webster ]

The thicker the cord or string, the more grave is the note or tone. Moore (Encyc. of Music).

(b) Slow and solemn in movement. [ 1913 Webster ]

Grave accent. (Pron.) See the Note under Accent, n., 2.

Syn. -- Solemn; sober; serious; sage; staid; demure; thoughtful; sedate; weighty; momentous; important. -- 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. gr?f, fr. grafan to dig; akin to D. & OS. graf, G. grab, Icel. gröf, 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

He bad lain in the grave four days. John xi. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

Grave wax, adipocere. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To write or delineate on hard substances, by means of incised lines; to practice engraving. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. Graved p. p. Graven r 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. gräfva, Icel. grafa, but prob. not to Gr. gra`fein to write, E. graphic. Cf. Grave, n., Grove, n. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To dig. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

He hath graven and digged up a pit. Ps. vii. 16 (Book of Common Prayer). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To carve or cut, as letters or figures, on some hard substance; to engrave. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel. Ex. xxviii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To carve out or give shape to, by cutting with a chisel; to sculpture; as, to grave an image. [ 1913 Webster ]

With gold men may the hearte grave. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To impress deeply (on the mind); to fix indelibly. [ 1913 Webster ]

O! may they graven in thy heart remain. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To entomb; to bury. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lie full low, graved in the hollow ground. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. The clothes or dress in which the dead are interred. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A digger of graves. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) See Burying beetle, under Bury, v. t. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. gravele, akin to F. gr?ve a sandy shore, strand; of Celtic origin; cf. Armor. grouan gravel, W. gro coarse gravel, pebbles, and Skr. grāvan stone. ] 1. Small stones, or fragments of stone; very small pebbles, often intermixed with particles of sand. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) A deposit of small calculous concretions in the kidneys and the urinary or gall bladder; also, the disease of which they are a symptom. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gravel powder, a coarse gunpowder; pebble powder. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Graveled r Gravelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Graveling or Gravelling. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To cover with gravel; as, to gravel a walk. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To run (as a ship) upon the gravel or beach; to run aground; to cause to stick fast in gravel or sand. [ 1913 Webster ]

When we were fallen into a place between two seas, they graveled the ship. Acts xxvii. 41 (Rhemish version). [ 1913 Webster ]

Willam the Conqueror . . . chanced as his arrival to be graveled; and one of his feet stuck so fast in the sand that he fell to the ground. Camden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To check or stop; to embarrass; to perplex. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

When you were graveled for lack of matter. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The physician was so graveled and amazed withal, that he had not a word more to say. Sir T. North. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To hurt or lame (a horse) by gravel lodged between the shoe and foot. [ 1913 Webster ]