Drove
/droʊv/noun
The past tense of drive; also, a herd of animals driven together.
Did you know?In Old English, the same root behind drove was used for literally driving cattle, and the noun still survives in herding language as a reminder that words for power often began as words for pushing things forward.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dhrewbʰ-
“to drive, push, press forward”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*drībaną
“to drive, force onward”
Old English
English
drīfan
“to drive, pursue, propel”
Middle English
English
drove
“past tense of drive; a herd driven together”
Modern English
English
drove
“past tense of drive; a large herd or crowd”