This is the 269th most frequent Italian word.
avevano
"Had" (third person plural, imperfect tense of "avere").
The word 'avevano' is used as the auxiliary verb in the pluperfect tense to indicate that the action of completing work occurred before another past event.
Avevano già completato il loro lavoro quando arrivò.
They had already completed their work when he arrived.
In this example, 'avevano' describes possession in the past, indicating the girls owned elegant dresses.
Le ragazze avevano dei vestiti molto eleganti per la festa.
The girls had very elegant dresses for the party.
Here, 'avevano' is used to describe an emotional state or experience in the past, conveying the sensation of fear.