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beaver
1[ bee-ver ]
/ ˈbi vər /
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noun, plural bea·vers, (especially collectively) bea·ver for 1.
verb (used without object)
British. to work very hard or industriously at something (usually followed by away).
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of beaver
1First recorded before 1000; Middle English bever, Old English beofor, befor; cognate with German Biber, akin to Lithuanian bebrùs, Russian bobr, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrús “reddish brown,” also an animal resembling a mongoose
usage note for beaver
Beaver as a term for a woman is perceived as insulting because it refers to the female in sexual terms. However, in the 1970s, it was CB radio slang, neutral in connotation and even used by women themselves as a term of self-reference.
OTHER WORDS FROM beaver
bea·ver·like, bea·ver·ish, adjectiveWords nearby beaver
Beauvais, Beauvoir, beaux, Beaux-Arts, beaux esprits, beaver, beaverboard, Beaverbrook, beaver cloth, Beavercreek, Beaver Dam
Other definitions for beaver (2 of 2)
beaver2
[ bee-ver ]
/ ˈbi vər /
noun Armor.
a piece of plate armor for covering the lower part of the face and throat, worn especially with an open helmet, as a sallet or basinet.Compare buffe, wrapper (def. 7).
a piece of plate armor, pivoted at the sides, forming part of a close helmet below the visor or ventail.
Origin of beaver
2First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bavier, bavour, beaver, from Middle French baviere (Old French: “child's bib”), equivalent to bave “spit, dribble” + -iere, from Latin -āria, feminine of -ārius -ary; alteration of vowel in the initial syllable is due to confusion with beaver hat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use beaver in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for beaver (1 of 3)
beaver1
/ (ˈbiːvə) /
noun
verb
(intr usually foll by away) to work industriously or steadily
Word Origin for beaver
Old English beofor; compare Old Norse biōrr, Old High German bibar, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrú red-brown
British Dictionary definitions for beaver (2 of 3)
beaver2
/ (ˈbiːvə) /
noun
a movable piece on a medieval helmet used to protect the lower part of the face
Word Origin for beaver
C15: from Old French baviere, from baver to dribble
British Dictionary definitions for beaver (3 of 3)
Beaver
/ (ˈbiːvə) /
noun
a member of a Beaver Colony, the youngest group of boys (aged 6–8 years) in the Scout Association
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with beaver
beaver
see busy as a beaver; eager beaver; work like a beaver.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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