reaver means one who reaves; a plunderer, marauder, or pillager. It carries an Arena rating of 1668, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, reaver ranks #419 of 13,220 for Most Malleable Words, #1,441 of 13,220 for Scariest Words, #1,678 of 13,220 for Most Incisive Words, #3,422 of 13,220 for Most Vivid Words.
reaver is pronounced /ˈɹiːvə(ɹ)/.
Why “reaver” is a great word
One who takes by force, plundering with predatory violence. From Middle English *revere*, from Old English *rēafere* ('robber, spoiler'), equivalent to *reave* (from Old English *rēafian*, 'to rob') + *-er* (agent suffix). Unlike a 'thief,' who operates by stealth and concealment, or a 'marauder,' who suggests a roving, opportunistic search, a reaver is defined by the open, brutal act of seizure itself. He is the torch flung into the thatch, the cold grip wrenching a torc from a throat, the systematic emptying of a granary so that nothing remains but chaff and dust—the ancient, unadorned fact of taking, leaving only absence in its wake.
Etymology
From Middle English revere (also revour, reiver, refar, reavere), from Old English rēafere (“reaver; robber; spoiler”), equivalent to reave + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Roower, Dutch rover, German Räuber, Swedish rövare, Icelandic raufari.
noun
- One who reaves; a plunderer, marauder, or pillager.“nobody knows
where these reavers from hell roam in their errands.”
Words closest in meaning
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