graze

¹

[greyz]

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

[greyz]

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

/ 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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of graze¹

Old English grasian, from græs _grass ; related to Old High German grasōn , Dutch grazen, Norwegian grasa

Origin of graze²

C17: probably special use of _graze ¹ ; related to Swedish gräsa

Example Sentences

The gun was the employee’s personal weapon and the bullet left a graze wound, said the sources, who asked to remain anonymous because they weren’t allowed to talk to the media.

From Los Angeles Times

"Impact areas" are constructed with fire breaks, such as stone tracks, around them to prevent the wider spread of fire and grazing is used to keep the amount of combustible vegetation down.

From BBC

No one surely can take being grazed by bread as a “crime,” right?

From Salon

Amid the sound of birdsong and cattle grazing in the fields of the Yorkshire Dales, there is a more unexpected sound.

From BBC

"You can tell that the animal has been grazing on the Palaeozoic rock, typical of those found in Wales, particularly in and around where bluestones are found," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

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