bereave

be·reave  (b-rv)

tr.v. be·reaved or be·reft (-rft), be·reav·ing, be·reaves

1. To leave desolate or alone, especially by death: "Cry aloud for the man who is dead, for the woman and children bereaved" Alan Paton.

2. Archaic To take (something valuable or necessary), typically by force.

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[Middle English bireven, to deprive, from Old English berafian; see reup- in Indo-European roots.]

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be·reavement n.

be·reaver n.

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

bereave - deprive through death deprive, divest, strip - take away possessions from someone; "The Nazis stripped the Jews of all their assets"