bereave

verb

Etymology: Inherited from Middle English bireven, from Old English berēafian (“to bereave, deprive of, take away, seize, rob, despoil”), from Proto-Germanic *biraubōną, and Old English berēofan (“to bereave, deprive, rob of”); both equivalent to be- + reave. Cognate with Dutch beroven (“to rob, deprive, bereave”), German berauben (“to deprive, rob, bereave”), Danish berøve (“to deprive of”), Norwegian berøve (“to deprive”), Swedish beröva (“to rob”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌱𐍉𐌽 (biraubōn).

1. To deprive by or as if by violence; to rob; to strip.

   “Madam, you have bereft me of all words,”

   “bereft of him who taught me how to sing”

2. To take away by destroying, impairing, or spoiling; take away by violence.

   “All your interest in those territories / Is utterly bereft you; all is lost.”

   “[…] shall move you to bereave my life.”

3. To deprive of power; prevent.
4. To take away someone or something that is important or close; deprive.

   “Death bereaved him of his wife.”

   “The family has been recently bereaved.”

5. To destroy life; cut off.