shave

[ sheyv ]

verb (used without object)

, shaved, shaved or (especially in combination) shav·en, shav·ing.

1. to remove a growth of beard with a razor.

verb (used with object)

, shaved, shaved or (especially in combination) shav·en, shav·ing.

1. to remove hair from (the face, legs, etc.) by cutting it off close to the skin with a razor.
2. to cut off (hair, especially the beard) close to the skin with a razor (often followed by off or away ).
3. to cut or scrape away the surface of with a sharp-edged tool:

   to shave hides in preparing leather.

4. to reduce to shavings or thin slices:

   to shave wood.

5. to cut or trim closely:

   to shave a lawn.

6. to scrape, graze, or come very near to:

   The car just shaved the garage door.

   Synonyms: touch, glance, brush

7. Commerce. to purchase (a note) at a rate of discount greater than is legal or customary.
8. to reduce or deduct from:

   The store shaved the price of winter suits in the spring.

noun

1. the act, process, or an instance of shaving or being shaved.
2. a thin slice; a shaving.
3. any of various tools for shaving, scraping, removing thin slices, etc.

shave

/ ʃeɪv /

verb

1. also intr to remove (the beard, hair, etc) from (the face, head, or body) by scraping the skin with a razor
2. to cut or trim very closely
3. to reduce to shavings
4. to remove thin slices from (wood, etc) with a sharp cutting tool; plane or pare
5. to touch or graze in passing
6. informal.
   to reduce (a price) by a slight amount
7. commerce to purchase (a commercial paper) at a greater rate of discount than is customary or legal

noun

1. the act or an instance of shaving
2. any tool for scraping
3. a thin slice or shaving
4. an instance of barely touching something
5. close shave informal.
   a narrow escape

Derived Forms

• ˈshavable, adjective

Other Words From

• shava·ble shavea·ble adjective
• re·shave verb reshaved reshaving
• un·shava·ble adjective
• un·shavea·ble adjective
• un·shaved adjective
• well-shaved adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shave¹

before 900; (v.) Middle English schaven, schafen, Old English sc ( e ) afan; cognate with Dutch schaven to plane (a plank), abrade (the skin), Low German schaven, German schaben, Old Norse skafa to scrape, Gothic skaban to shear, shave; (noun) Middle English schave tool for shaving, Old English sc ( e ) afa, derivative of the v.

Word History and Origins

Origin of shave¹

Old English sceafan; related to Old Norse skafa, Gothic skaban to shave, Latin scabere to scrape

Idioms and Phrases

see close call (shave) .

Related Words

• brush
• cut down
• kiss
• pare
• prune
• shear
• shred
• skim
• slash
• trim