beaver

[ bee-ver ]

/ ˈbi vər /

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See 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.

Beaver . 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).

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…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of beaver

First 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, adjective

Words 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

First 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

However, only about a third of these sites occurred near features such as beaver feeding trails.
Wolves use ambush tactics to hunt unsuspecting beavers|Kate Baggaley|February 12, 2021|Popular-Science
That was the Year of the Beaver, when trees by the creek were suddenly reduced to pointed nubs, like pencils in a sharpener.
When you walk a dog, your mind is as likely to wander as the dog is|John Kelly|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
I’ve gotten bell to bell face shots of champagne powder at Steamboat Springs, ripped groomer after groomer under a cloudless sky at Beaver Creek and racked up insane amounts of vertical at Jackson Hole.
Small ski areas, big impact|Dina Mishev|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
A Yupik Eskimo-made seal skin hat I have, lined with beaver is impervious to the coldest wind, and it’s too hot to wear with any sort of strenuous activity.
Dress like an Alaskan to weather the winter cold|By Tyler Freel/Outdoor Life|January 20, 2021|Popular-Science

A newlywed couple settling into a neighborhood that’s more “Leave it to Beaver” than Avengers Tower.
‘WandaVision’ on Disney Plus gives Marvel Studios its first true power couple|David Betancourt|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
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
They also took advantage of the necessity of others, in miserly traffic in Beaver skins with the Savages.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
These precautions are necessary, because, like all enterprising animals, the beaver is not without enemies.
Harper's Young People, November 30, 1880|Various
From what has been said, it will be readily seen that the maintenance of the dam is a matter of vital importance to the beaver.
Harper's Young People, November 30, 1880|Various
After dinner to horse again, being in nothing troubled but the badness of my hat, which I borrowed to save my beaver.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete|Samuel Pepys
They heard nothing further from the scouts until late in the day, and then Black Beaver overtook them.
Three Sioux Scouts|Elmer Russell Gregor

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (1 of 3)

beaver¹

/ (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)

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.

beaver

Origin of beaver

usage note for beaver

OTHER WORDS FROM beaver

Words nearby beaver

Other definitions for beaver (2 of 2)

Origin of beaver

Words related to beaver

How to use beaver in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (1 of 3)

Word Origin for beaver

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (2 of 3)

Word Origin for beaver

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (3 of 3)

Other Idioms and Phrases with beaver