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grave
used in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

17 uses
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1  —5 uses as in:
Her manner was grave.
Definition
serious and/or solemn
The exact meaning of this sense of grave can depend upon its context. For example:
  • "This is a grave problem," or "a situation of the utmost gravity." — important, dangerous, or causing worry
  • "She was in a grave mood upon returning from the funeral." — sad or solemn
  • "She looked me in the eye and gravely promised." — in a sincere and serious manner
  • They took their lath swords, dumped their other traps on the ground, struck a fencing attitude, foot to foot, and began a grave, careful combat, "two up and two down."
    Chapter 8 (81% in)
  • The teacher, a grave, elderly man, interfered; then turned his back a moment and Tom pulled a boy's hair in the next bench, and was absorbed in his book when the boy turned around; stuck a pin in another boy, presently, in order to hear him say "Ouch!" and got a new reprimand from his teacher.
    Chapter 4 (34% in)
  • The discourse was resumed presently, but it went lame and halting, all possibility of impressiveness being at an end; for even the gravest sentiments were constantly being received with a smothered burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as if the poor parson had said a rarely facetious thing.
    Chapter 5 (94% in)
  • "It's a bad sign," said Aunt Polly, gravely.
    Chapter 11 (67% in)
  • The Welshman eyed him gravely, curiously—and presently said: "Yes, burglar's tools.
    Chapter 30 (44% in)

There are no more uses of "grave" flagged with this meaning in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Typical Usage  (best examples)
Dictionary / pronunciation — Google®Dictionary list — Onelook.com®
?  —12 uses
exact meaning not specified
  • "Were you anywhere near Horse Williams' grave?"
    Chapter 23 (87% in)
  • It seemed to him that life was but a trouble, at best, and he more than half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to lie and slumber and dream forever and ever, with the wind whispering through the trees and caressing the grass and the flowers over the grave, and nothing to bother and grieve about, ever any more.
    Chapter 8 (14% in)
  • The whisper died wholly out, now, for the three men had reached the grave and stood within a few feet of the boys' hiding-place.
    Chapter 9 (49% in)
  • The doctor put the lantern at the head of the grave and came and sat down with his back against one of the elm trees.
    Chapter 9 (53% in)
  • All at once the doctor flung himself free, seized the heavy headboard of Williams' grave and felled Potter to the earth with it—and in the same instant the half-breed saw his chance and drove the knife to the hilt in the young man's breast.
    Chapter 9 (72% in)
  • Two or three minutes later the murdered man, the blanketed corpse, the lidless coffin, and the open grave were under no inspection but the moon's.
    Chapter 9 (99% in)
  • This ought to be a lesson to grave robbers!
    Chapter 11 (22% in)
  • He had been careful to begin both of his inquest-statements with the fight, without confessing the grave-robbery that preceded it; therefore it was deemed wisest not to try the case in the courts at present.
    Chapter 11 (99% in)
  • Tom looked up in her face with just a perceptible twinkle peeping through his gravity.
    Chapter 12 (76% in)
  • The other boys agreed that there was reason in what Tom said, because an ignorant lump of bread, uninstructed by an incantation, could not be expected to act very intelligently when set upon an errand of such gravity.
    Chapter 14 (73% in)
  • Becky resumed her picture inspections with Alfred, but as the minutes dragged along and no Tom came to suffer, her triumph began to cloud and she lost interest; gravity and absent-mindedness followed, and then melancholy; two or three times she pricked up her ear at a footstep, but it was a false hope; no Tom came.
    Chapter 18 (88% in)
  • Every "haunted" house in St. Petersburg and the neighboring villages was dissected, plank by plank, and its foundations dug up and ransacked for hidden treasure—and not by boys, but men—pretty grave, unromantic men, too, some of them.
    Chapter 35 (5% in)

There are no more uses of "grave" in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Typical Usage  (best examples)
Dictionary / pronunciation — Google®Dictionary list — Onelook.com®