verb
hove
hohv
verb
1
A past tense of "heave," used especially in nautical contexts to describe a ship coming into view or coming to a stop.
"The tanker hove into sight just after dawn."
"The ship hove to and waited out the storm."
How to Use Hove
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn archaic/nautical past tense of "heave" — mostly seen in the fixed phrases "hove into view" and "hove to."
When to use it
Archaic outside nautical and literary use.
Common pairings
hove into view
hove to
Word Forms
hoved past tense, hoved past tense, hoves singular, hoves singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “hove”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The tanker _____ into sight just after dawn.
Etymology
An old past-tense form of "heave," now surviving mainly in nautical phrases like "hove into view" and "hove to."