(grāv) adjective
1. Of momentous import; solemn; important.
2. Serious, as in mind, manner, or speech; dignified; sedate.
3. Sober in color or fashion.
4. Phonet. a Having the tonal quality of the grave accent, or marked with it, as the vowel è. b Unaccented, as a syllable. See synonyms under IMPORTANT, SAD, SEDATE, SERIOUS.
—noun
1. A mark (`) used in French to indicate the open quality of e or a distinction in meaning, as in ou, où; in English elocution to indicate a falling inflection or the pronunciation of a final ed, as in preparèd; in Greek to indicate a lowering of the tone from a higher pitch: also grave accent. See ACCENT.
2. Music A passage or movement in the slowest tempo. [<F <L gravis heavy]
—grave′ly adverb
—grave′ness noun

(grāv) noun
1. An excavation in the earth for the burial of a dead body; a tomb.
2. Hence, death or ruin.
3. The abode of the dead. [OE græf Related to GRAVE³.]
—grave′less adjective

(grāv) v.t. graved, grav·en, grav·ing
1. To engrave; carve with a chisel.
2. To sculpture.
3. To impress deeply, as on the memory.
4. Brit. Dial. To dig.
5. Archaic To bury. [OE grafan dig. Related to GRAVE².]

(grāv) v.t. graved, grav·ing Naut.
To clean, as a ship's bottom, by scraping or burning off seaweed, etc., and coating with pitch. [<OF, beach]

(grä′vā) adverb Music
Slowly and solemnly. [<Ital.]