bereave

Etymology

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).

verb

1. (transitive) To deprive by or as if by violence; to rob; to strip; to benim.
   bereft of him who taught me how to sing 1719, Thomas Tickell, On the Death of Mr. Addison
2. (transitive, obsolete) To take away by destroying, impairing, or spoiling; take away by violence.
3. (transitive) To deprive of power; prevent.
4. (transitive) To take away someone or something that is important or close; deprive.
   Death bereaved him of his wife.
   The castaways were bereft of hope.
5. (intransitive, rare) To destroy life; cut off.