graze

¹ American  

[greyz] / greɪz /

verb (used without object)

grazed, grazing

1. to feed on growing grass and pasturage, as do cattle, sheep, etc.

2. Informal.  to eat small portions of food, as appetizers or the like, in place of a full-sized meal or to snack during the course of the day in place of regular meals.

---

verb (used with object)

grazed, grazing

1. to feed on (growing grass).

2. to put cattle, sheep, etc., to feed on (grass, pastureland, etc.).

3. to tend (cattle, sheep, etc.) while they are at pasture.

graze ² American  

[greyz] / greɪz /

verb (used with object)

grazed, grazing

1. to touch or rub lightly in passing.

2. to scrape the skin from; abrade.

   The bullet just grazed his shoulder.

---

verb (used without object)

grazed, grazing

1. to touch or rub something lightly, or so as to produce slight abrasion, in passing.

   to graze against a rough wall.

noun

1. a touching or rubbing lightly in passing.

2. a slight scratch, scrape, or wound made in passing; abrasion.

graze ¹ British  

/ ɡreɪz /

verb

1. to allow (animals) to consume the vegetation on (an area of land), or (of animals, esp cows and sheep) to feed thus

2. (tr) to tend (livestock) while at pasture

3. informal  to eat snacks throughout the day rather than formal meals

4. informal  to eat

5. informal  (intr) to switch between television channels while viewing without watching any channel for long

6. to pilfer and eat sweets, vegetables, etc, from supermarket shelves while shopping

---

noun

1. informal  a snack; something to eat

graze ² British  

/ ɡreɪz /

verb

1. to brush or scrape (against) gently, esp in passing

2. (tr) to break the skin of (a part of the body) by scraping

---

noun

1. the act of grazing

2. a scrape or abrasion made by grazing

Other Word Forms

• grazeable adjective
• grazer noun
• grazingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of graze¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English grasen, Old English grasian, derivative of græs grass

Origin of graze²

First recorded in 1350–1400; perhaps special use of graze ¹

Example Sentences

The species depends on just one plant, Devil's-bit Scabious, which grows across a range of grassland and heathland sites, most often grazed by cattle.

From BBC

As for the bandits in Jibia, they requested access to clean drinking water and safe passage for their cattle as they moved to new grazing pastures.

From BBC

It has been framed by some as a religious fight, but the central grievance is over grazing rights - access to land and water.

From BBC

Furthermore, "it will displace more than 24 Palestinian Bedouin communities, all of which rely on livestock", he added, and therefore land for grazing.

From Barron's

Among steps already taken are the introduction of ponies to graze and opening up some of the dunes to the elements.

From BBC

Related Words

• ricochet
• rub
• scrape
• scratch
• skim
• skip