Reeve

reeve
    n 1: female ruff
    v 1: pass a rope through; "reeve an opening"
    2: pass through a hole or opening; "reeve a rope"
    3: fasten by passing through a hole or around something
    

Reeve \Reeve\ (r[=e]v), n. (Zool.)
   The female of the ruff.
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Reeve \Reeve\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rove} (r[=o]v); p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Reeving}.] [Cf. D. reven. See {Reef}, n. & v. t.] (Naut.)
   To pass, as the end of a pope, through any hole in a block,
   thimble, cleat, ringbolt, cringle, or the like.
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Reeve \Reeve\, n. [OE. reve, AS. ger[=e]fa. Cf. {Sheriff}.]
   an officer, steward, bailiff, or governor; -- used chiefly in
   compounds; as, shirereeve, now written sheriff; portreeve,
   etc. --Chaucer. --Piers Plowman.
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Reve \Reve\, n. [See {Reeve}.]
   An officer, steward, or governor. [Usually written {reeve}.]
   [Obs.] --Piers Plowman.
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Ruff \Ruff\, n. [Of uncertain origin: cf. Icel. r[=u]finn rough,
   uncombed, Pr. ruf rude, rough, Sp. rufo frizzed, crisp,
   curled, G. raufen to pluck, fight, rupfen to pluck, pull, E.
   rough. [root]18. Cf. {Ruffle} to wrinkle.]
   1. A muslin or linen collar plaited, crimped, or fluted, worn
      formerly by both sexes, now only by women and children.
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            Here to-morrow with his best ruff on. --Shak.
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            His gravity is much lessened since the late
            proclamation came out against ruffs; . . . they were
            come to that height of excess herein, that twenty
            shillings were used to be paid for starching of a
            ruff.                                 --Howell.
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   2. Something formed with plaits or flutings, like the collar
      of this name.
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            I reared this flower; . . .
            Soft on the paper ruff its leaves I spread. --Pope.
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   3. An exhibition of pride or haughtiness.
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            How many princes . . . in the ruff of all their
            glory, have been taken down from the head of a
            conquering army to the wheel of the victor's
            chariot!                              --L'Estrange.
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   4. Wanton or tumultuous procedure or conduct. [Obs.]
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            To ruffle it out in a riotous ruff.   --Latimer.
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   5. (Mil.) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a
      roll; a ruffle.
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   6. (Mach.) A collar on a shaft ot other piece to prevent
      endwise motion. See Illust. of {Collar}.
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   7. (Zool.) A set of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers
      round, or on, the neck of a bird.
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   8. (Zool.)
      (a) A limicoline bird of Europe and Asia ({Pavoncella
          pugnax}, syn. {Philomachus pugnax}) allied to the
          sandpipers. The males during the breeding season have
          a large ruff of erectile feathers, variable in their
          colors, on the neck, and yellowish naked tubercles on
          the face. They are polygamous, and are noted for their
          pugnacity in the breeding season. The female is called
          {reeve}, or {rheeve}.
      (b) A variety of the domestic pigeon, having a ruff of its
          neck.
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REEVE. The name of an ancient English officer of justice, inferior in rank 
to an alderman. 
     2. He was a ministerial officer, appointed to execute process, keep the 
king's peace, and put the laws in execution. He witnessed all contracts and 
bargains; brought offenders to justice, and delivered them to punishment; 
took bail for such as were to appear at the county court, and presided at 
the court or folcmote[?]. He was also called gerefa. 
     3. There were several kinds of reeves as the shire-gerefa, shire-reeve 
or sheriff; the heh-gerefa, or high-sheriff, tithing-reeve, burgh or 
borough-reeve. 
    

81 Moby Thesaurus words for "reeve":
      G-man, MP, alderman, archon, bailie, bailiff, beadle, beagle,
      bound bailiff, burghermaster, burgomaster, cabinet member,
      cabinet minister, captain, catchpole, chancellor, chief of police,
      city councilman, city father, city manager, commissar,
      commissioner, constable, councillor, councilman, councilwoman,
      county commissioner, county supervisor, deputy, deputy sheriff,
      detective, elder, fed, federal, flic, gendarme, government man,
      headman, induna, inspector, legislator, lictor, lieutenant,
      lord mayor, mace-bearer, magistrate, maire, marshal, mayor,
      minister, minister of state, mounted policeman, narc, officer,
      patrolman, peace officer, police captain, police commissioner,
      police constable, police inspector, police matron, police officer,
      police sergeant, policeman, policewoman, portreeve, roundsman,
      secretary, secretary of state, selectman, sergeant,
      sergeant at arms, sheriff, superintendent, supervisor, syndic,
      tipstaff, tipstaves, trooper, undersecretary, warden