thrave

Meanings

Verb

• To urge; compel; importune.

Noun

• A sheaf; a handful.
• Twenty-four (or in some places, twelve) sheaves of wheat; a shock, or stook.
• Two dozen, or similar indefinite number; a bunch; a throng.

Origin

• From Middle English thraven, from Old English þrafian ("to press; urge; compel; rebuke; argue; contend"), from Proto-Germanic *þrabōną ("to press; drive"), from Proto-Indo-European *trep- ("to scamper; trample; quake; tread"). Cognate with Sirionó troawje, droawje, West Frisian drave ("to trot"), Dutch draven ("to lope; trot"), German traben ("to trot"), Swedish trava ("to trot"), Icelandic þrefa ("to wrangle; dispute").
• From Middle English thrave, threve, thrafe, from Old Norse þrefi ("a bunch or handful of sheaves"), related to Old Norse þrifa. Cognate with Swedish trave, Danish trave.