Also 5 clevere, 6 clyuer, 7 clever, cleever. [f. CLEAVE v.1 + -ER.]

1

  1.  One who cleaves or splits (wood, etc.).

2

1483.  Cath. Angl., 67. Clevere, fissor.

3

1583.  Golding, Calvin on Deut. clxvi. 1026. Euen from the Clyuer of thy wood, to the drawer of thy water.

4

a. 1617.  Hieron, Wks. (1619–20), II. 476. Get away … if thou be a cleauer, to thy wedge and an axe.

5

1688.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2332/2. Cleavers and Carriers of Wood.

6

1879.  Butcher & Lang, Odyss., iv. 5. Achilles, cleaver of the ranks of men [Ἀχιλλῆος ῥηξήνορος].

7

  2.  An instrument for cleaving; spec. a butcher’s chopper for cutting up carcasses.

8

[Rogers, Agric. & Pr. refers to ‘cleavers’ under 1449, 1550, 1554, 1566; language of record not stated.]

9

1580.  Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong., Couperet, a butcher’s knife, a cleauer.

10

1633.  Massinger, New Way, V. i. Cook. If that I had my cleaver here, I would divide your knaves head.

11

1868.  Stanley, Westm. Abb., ii. 99. The Royal Cook stood at the door of the Abbey with his cleaver.

12

  b.  Marrow-bones and cleavers: freq. referred to as instruments of ‘rough music.’

13

1712.  Arbuthnot, John Bull, I. xvi. in Swift’s Wks. (1766), VIII. 212 (J.). To keep a parcel of roaring bullies about me day and night, with huzzas, and hunting-horns, and ringing the changes on butchers cleavers.

14

1716–8.  Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., I. xxxvii. 145. As if a foreigner should take his ideas of English music from … the marrow-bones and cleavers.

15

1765.  B. Thornton (title), Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day, adapted to the ancient British Musick; viz. the Salt-box, Jew’s-Harp, the Marrow-bones and Cleavers, the Humstrum or Hurdy-gurdy, &c.

16

1801.  Strutt, Sports & Past., IV. i. 220.

17