graze

[ greyz ]

/ greɪz /

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See synonyms for: graze / grazed / grazing / grazer on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), grazed, graz·ing.

to feed on growing grass and pasturage, as do cattle, sheep, etc.

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, graz·ing.

to feed on (growing grass).

to put cattle, sheep, etc., to feed on (grass, pastureland, etc.).

to tend (cattle, sheep, etc.) while they are at pasture.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of graze

First recorded before 1000; Middle English grasen, Old English grasian, derivative of græs grass

OTHER WORDS FROM graze

graze·a·ble, adjectivegrazer, noun

Other definitions for graze (2 of 2)

graze²

[ greyz ]

/ greɪz /

verb (used with object), grazed, graz·ing.

to touch or rub lightly in passing.

to scrape the skin from; abrade: The bullet just grazed his shoulder.

verb (used without object), grazed, graz·ing.

to touch or rub something lightly, or so as to produce slight abrasion, in passing: to graze against a rough wall.

noun

a touching or rubbing lightly in passing.

a slight scratch, scrape, or wound made in passing; abrasion.

Origin of graze

First recorded in 1350–1400; perhaps special use of graze¹

OTHER WORDS FROM graze

grazer, noungraz·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use graze in a sentence

By his estimate, the nearly million acres of Gorongosa National Park were home to upward of 30,000 large grazing animals, including buffalo, wildebeest, and elephants—along with hundreds of lions.
5 famous environmental disasters where humans and nature healed together|Meera Subramanian|February 16, 2021|Popular-Science
Police said the man was struck in the upper body and one officer was grazed with a bullet.
Veteran Fairfax County police officers involved in shooting of armed man|Justin Jouvenal|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
The man was struck by gunfire, while one officer suffered a minor graze to the arm, police said.
Fairfax County police shoot armed man after responding to shooting|Justin Jouvenal|December 17, 2020|Washington Post
Through the practices of rotating crops, prioritizing soil health, and grazing animals in rotation to mimic the natural wild movement of animals in the past, farmers can regenerate the land, leaving it more diverse and resilient.
Your guide to cooking a sustainable holiday meal|By Allie Wist/Saveur|December 17, 2020|Popular-Science

Vaguely camel-like and rhinolike herbivores grazed the landscape.
Why South America’s ancient mammals may have lost out to northern counterparts|Jake Buehler|November 4, 2020|Science News
But the grazer had a copy of 'orders,' too, and he had hired a lawyer to find out how he could get out of them.
The Boy With the U. S. Foresters|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
He had heard that some grazer from your county, Abner, was on the way up to buy the cattle for stockers.
The Boy Scouts Book of Stories|Various
An Austrian who was in the town afterwards described the attack in the Grazer Tagespost.
What Germany Thinks|Thomas F. A. Smith
There is no doubt that the climate of California gives some exceptional advantages to the sheep-grazer.
Northern California, Oregon, and the Sandwich Islands|Charles Nordhoff
A sheep-grazer in Placer County loaded ten railroad cars with wool, the clip of his own sheep.
Northern California, Oregon, and the Sandwich Islands|Charles Nordhoff

British Dictionary definitions for graze (1 of 2)

graze¹

/ (ɡreɪz) /

verb

to allow (animals) to consume the vegetation on (an area of land), or (of animals, esp cows and sheep) to feed thus

(tr) to tend (livestock) while at pasture

informal to eat snacks throughout the day rather than formal meals

Southern African informal to eat

(intr) informal to switch between television channels while viewing without watching any channel for long

US to pilfer and eat sweets, vegetables, etc, from supermarket shelves while shopping

noun

Southern African informal a snack; something to eat

Word Origin for graze

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

British Dictionary definitions for graze (2 of 2)

graze²

/ (ɡreɪz) /

verb

(when intr, often foll by against or along) to brush or scrape (against) gently, esp in passing

(tr) to break the skin of (a part of the body) by scraping

noun

the act of grazing

a scrape or abrasion made by grazing

Derived forms of graze

grazer, noungrazingly, adverb

Word Origin for graze

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

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

graze

Origin of graze

OTHER WORDS FROM graze

Other definitions for graze (2 of 2)

Origin of graze

OTHER WORDS FROM graze

Words related to graze

How to use graze in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for graze (1 of 2)

Word Origin for graze

British Dictionary definitions for graze (2 of 2)

Derived forms of graze

Word Origin for graze