Cleave can refer to being in close contact, to staying really, really close to someone or something: "If you are walking in the pitch-black woods without a flashlight, you want to cleave to the person in front of you." On the other hand, it can mean to split apart with a sharp tool — which is not the action you want to ...

What does it mean to cleave someone?

1 : to stay very close to (someone) children cleaving to their families. 2 : to stick closely to (something) —usually used figuratively He continued to cleave to the beliefs of his childhood.

What does cleave mean in biblical terms?

that once a man leaves, he is instructed to “cleave” to his wife. This means to glue, to adhere, to join, to stick. The Hebrew word used in Genesis is more expressive: to cling, to adhere, to abide fast together, to follow.