Crossword answer · 4 letters
DOVE definition and meaning
duhv · noun; verb
DOVE
What does DOVE mean?
A pigeon-family bird commonly used as a symbol of peace, love, or reconciliation.
What does DOVE mean in a crossword?
DOVE is often clued as a peace symbol, an olive-branch carrier, a gentle bird, or the past tense of dive in American English.
Why is DOVE useful to learn?
Two distinct pronunciations and senses—bird and past-tense verb—give setters flexible four-letter clueing options.
Common clue patterns
- Peace symbol
- Olive-branch carrier
- Went underwater, in American usage
These are editorially written pattern summaries, not a reproduced puzzle archive.
Other meanings to watch
As a verb, DOVE can be the past tense of dive and is commonly pronounced to rhyme with drove. As a bird, it is pronounced to rhyme with love, so clue context determines both meaning and sound.