beaver

[ bee-ver ]

/ ˈbi vər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR beaver ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural bea·vers, (especially collectively) bea·ver for 1.

a large, amphibious rodent of the genus Castor, having sharp incisors, webbed hind feet, and a flattened tail, noted for its ability to dam streams with trees, branches, etc.

the fur of this animal.

a flat, round hat made of beaver fur or a similar fabric.

a tall, cylindrical hat for men, formerly made of beaver and now of a fabric simulating this fur.Compare opera hat, silk hat, top hat.

Informal. a full beard or a man wearing one.

Informal. an exceptionally active or hard-working person.

Slang: Vulgar.

a woman's pubic area.
Offensive. a term used to refer to a woman.

Textiles.

a cotton cloth with a thick nap, used chiefly in the manufacture of work clothes.
(formerly) a heavy, soft, woolen cloth with a thick nap, made to resemble beaver fur.

(initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Oregon, the Beaver State (used as a nickname).

verb (used without object)

British. to work very hard or industriously at something (usually followed by away).

Nearby words

beaux, beaux arts, beaux' stratagem, the, beaux-arts, beaux-esprits, beaver, beaver cloth, beaver dam, beaver falls, beaver fever, beaver state

Origin of beaver

before 1000; Middle English bever, Old English beofor, befor; cognate with German Biber, Lithuanian bebrùs, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrús reddish brown, large ichneumon

Related formsbea·ver·like, bea·ver·ish, adjective

Usage note

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.

Definition for beaver (2 of 2)

beaver

[ 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

1400–50; late Middle English bavier, bavour < Middle French baviere (Old French: bib), equivalent to bave spit, dribble + -iere < Latin -āria, feminine of -ārius -ary; alteration of vowel in the initial syllable is unexplained

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for beaver

I worked like a beaver to get it out, and yet the disease appeared to creep from limb to limb of the study before me.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A dead beaver was spotted near Edgewater Court near the water.
In Oregon, No Silly Call Is Too Small for Papers’ Police Blotters|Kelly Williams Brown|January 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The damp, gray Beaver State is attracting the most incoming movers of any other state, according to a new survey.
Hold Up, Hipsters: Stop Obsessing Over Oregon|Nina Strochlic|January 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Commenting on his vanilla—some might even say “hokey”—demeanor, my wife said he reminded her of the father on Leave It to Beaver.
Face It, Republicans, ‘Bazooka Joe’ Biden Won the VP Debate|Matt Latimer|October 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Sure, Mitt Romney seems ripe for parody, what with his Leave It to Beaver vibe and eye-popping wealth.
Is Mitt Romney Beyond Satire? Comedy Writers Underwhelmed by Candidate|Michelle Cottle|August 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Like the beaver, the coypou is furnished with two kinds of fur; viz.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 20, Issue 573, October 27, 1832|Various
He threw his cigar-butt on the floor and stepped on it, and drummed on his beaver hat with nimble fingers.
The Great Quest|Charles Boardman Hawes
In the course of his lonely wanderings the Beaver reached this pond, and here he established himself to spend his last few weeks.
Forest Neighbors|William Davenport Hulbert
To the beaver she said, "You cannot take the boy; you will drown him on the way to your lodge."
Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children|Mabel Powers
Beaver are split but stretched round and should be left in the hoop or stretcher for several days.
Fur Farming|A. R. Harding

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (1 of 3)

beaver

/ (ˈbiːvə) /

noun

a large amphibious rodent, Castor fiber, of Europe, Asia, and North America: family Castoridae . It has soft brown fur, a broad flat hairless tail, and webbed hind feet, and constructs complex dams and houses (lodges) in rivers

the fur of this animal

mountain beaver a burrowing rodent, Aplodontia rufa, of W North America: family Aplodontidae

a tall hat of beaver fur or a fabric resembling it, worn, esp by men, during the 19th century

a woollen napped cloth resembling beaver fur, formerly much used for overcoats, etc

a greyish- or yellowish-brown

obsolete a full beard

a bearded man

(modifier) having the colour of beaver or made of beaver fur or some similar materiala beaver lamb coat; a beaver stole

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)

beaver

/ (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

Word Origin and History for beaver

beaver

Old English beofor, befer (earlier bebr), from Proto-Germanic *bebruz (cf. Old Saxon bibar, Old Norse bjorr, Middle Dutch and Dutch bever, Low German bever, Old High German bibar, German Biber), from PIE *bhebhrus, reduplication of root *bher- (3) "brown, bright" (cf. Lithuanian bebrus, Czech bobr, Welsh befer; see bear (n.) for the likely reason for this). Gynecological sense ("female genitals, especially with a display of pubic hair") is 1927 British slang, transferred from earlier meaning "a bearded man" (1910), from the appearance of split beaver pelts.

Idioms and Phrases with beaver

beaver

see busy as a beaver; eager beaver; work like a beaver.

beaver

noun, plural bea·vers, (especially collectively) bea·ver for 1.

verb (used without object)

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of beaver

Usage note

Definition for beaver (2 of 2)

beaver

noun Armor.

Origin of beaver

Examples from the Web for beaver

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (1 of 3)

beaver

noun

verb

Word Origin for beaver

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (2 of 3)

beaver

noun

Word Origin for beaver

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (3 of 3)

Beaver

noun

Word Origin and History for beaver

beaver

Idioms and Phrases with beaver

beaver