beaver

¹ American  

[bee-ver] / ˈbi vər /

noun

plural

beavers,

plural

beaver

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.

2. the fur of this animal.

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

4. a tall, cylindrical hat for men, formerly made of beaver and now of a fabric simulating this fur.

5. Informal. a full beard or a man wearing one.

6. Informal. an exceptionally active or hard-working person.

7. Slang: Vulgar.

   1. a woman's pubic area.

   2. Offensive. a term used to refer to a woman.

8. Textiles.

   1. a cotton cloth with a thick nap, used chiefly in the manufacture of work clothes.

   2. (formerly) a heavy, soft, woolen cloth with a thick nap, made to resemble beaver fur.

9. none Beaver a native or inhabitant of Oregon, the Beaver State (used as a nickname).

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verb (used without object)

1. British. to work very hard or industriously at something (usually followed byaway ).

beaver ² American  

[bee-ver] / ˈbi vər /

noun

Armor.

1. 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.

2. a piece of plate armor, pivoted at the sides, forming part of a close helmet below the visor or ventail.

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beaver ¹ British  

/ ˈbiːvə /

noun

1. 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

2. the fur of this animal

3. a burrowing rodent, Aplodontia rufa , of W North America: family Aplodontidae

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

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

6. a greyish- or yellowish-brown

7. obsolete a full beard

8. a bearded man

9. (modifier) having the colour of beaver or made of beaver fur or some similar material

   a beaver lamb coat

   a beaver stole

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verb

1. to work industriously or steadily

Beaver ² British  

/ ˈbiːvə /

noun

1. a member of a Beaver Colony , the youngest group of boys (aged 6–8 years) in the Scout Association

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beaver ³ British  

/ ˈbiːvə /

noun

1. a movable piece on a medieval helmet used to protect the lower part of the face

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beaver Idioms  

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

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Sensitive 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.

Other Word Forms

• beaverish adjective
• beaverlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of beaver¹

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

Origin of beaver²

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

Example Sentences

After a short conversation, Clare had learned that the turtle spent his life as a beaver’s apprentice, and while he’d never been the fastest builder in the pond, he’d been the most diligent.

From Literature

After a year of ups and downs, it looks like one of the two licensed pairs of beavers set free has finally settled.

From BBC

The latest original film from Disney's Pixar tells the story of a young animal lover who uses technology to transfer her consciousness into a robotic beaver so she can better communicate and protect wildlife.

From Barron's

The results show that wetlands shaped by beavers can store carbon at rates up to ten times higher than similar areas without their presence.

From Science Daily

It smelt of reindeer and red deer and beaver, and fresh blood -and something else: a new smell that he hadn’t yet learnt.

From Literature