English

Adjective

cliver

1. (obsolete or dialectal) clever
   • 1918, Harold Bindloss, The Buccaneer Farmer:

     There's ways a cliver agent can run up a reckoning, and when you want Mireside I'll have to gan." "

   • 1893, Robert Michael Ballantyne, The World of Ice:

     "Ah, but it's a cliver trick, no doubt of it."

   • 1861, George Eliot, Silas Marner:

     For I've often a deal inside me as'll never come out; and for what you talk o' your folks in your old country niver saying prayers by heart nor saying 'em out of a book, they must be wonderful cliver; for if I didn't know "Our Father", and little bits o' good words as I can carry out o' church wi' me, I might down o' my knees every night, but nothing could I say."

   • 1831, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Eugene Aram, Complete:

     Oh, they be cliver creturs, and they'll do what they likes with old Nick, when they gets there, for 'tis the old gentlemen they cozens the best; and then," continued the Corporal, waxing more and more loquacious, for his appetite in talking grew with that it fed on,--"then there be another set o' queer folks you'll see in Lunnon, Sir, that is, if you falls in with 'em,--hang all together, quite in a clink.

French

Etymology

XVIth century, from Dutch klieven, of Germanic origin. More at English cleave.

Verb

cliver

1. to cleave

   Le minéral se clive en formes régulières délimitées par les plans de clivage.

Conjugation

Derived terms

• clivage

References

• “cliver” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Scots

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /'klɪvər/

Adjective

cliver ‎(comparative cliverer, superlative cliverest)

1. swift, quick, speedy
2. handsome, well-made