gave
- 1Past tense of give.
The committee gave its approval after a long debate.
He gave a short speech at the retirement ceremony.
Note
A past form that stands alone, with no helper verb: she gave, they gave. Its shape is old. It comes from Middle English gaf, yaf and ȝaf, and before that from Old English ġæf, and Shakespeare spells it gaue in Henry the Sixt (1591). Like give, it usually takes two objects, and it carries feelings as easily as goods: in Jane Austen's Emma, a confidence "gave her severe pain." After have or had, standard English switches to given.
- 2Past participle of give. Nonstandard; the standard form is given.
He had gave away most of his savings by the time anyone noticed.
We should have gave them more warning about the change.
Note
Here the simple past takes the participle's place after have, had or should've: has gave, may have gave. Ring Lardner (c. 1916) and James Kelman's A Chancer (2012) put it in their characters' mouths, and a witness used it at a 1951 Senate subcommittee hearing. It marks speech as casual and nonstandard. In writing, use given, and keep gave for the simple past.
gave is a form of give
give, verb: To hand something over to someone, or pass it into their possession or keeping. Full entry
- Spelling
- give → gave: irregular (no -ed)
Use it in a sentence
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Origin
The past tense of "give," from Middle English gaf, yaf, ȝaf, from Old English ġæf, ġeaf.