grazing

[grey-zing]

See more synonyms for grazing on Thesaurus.com

noun

pastureland; a pasture.
Informal. the act or practice of switching television channels frequently to watch several programs.

Origin of grazing

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at graze¹, -ing¹

graze¹

[greyz]

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.

Origin of graze¹

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

Related formsgraze·a·ble, adjectivegraz·er, noun

graze²

[greyz]

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 graze²

1595–1605; perhaps special use of graze¹; for the semantic shift compare French effleurer, derivative of fleur flower, in the same meaning

Related formsgraz·er, noungraz·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for grazing

Contemporary Examples

Of course that “interesting company,” alongside the grazing goats, will probably number the odd royal and Hollywood celebrity.
William, Kate, and Jay Z’s Favorite Art Star: Alexander Gilkes' World of Rock Stars and Royalty
Tim Teeman
December 10, 2014
Then, without warning, they shot into the group, grazing two teenage boys with bullets.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014
“So if Cliven Bundy wishes to pay taxes or grazing fees—he should pay it to the Shoshone,” she writes.
How Cliven Bundy and the Land Rights Movement Screws Native Americans
Caitlin Dickson
May 14, 2014
The U.S. government says Cliven Bundy owes $1 million in grazing fees and sent in contract cowboys to round up his cattle.
Gun-Toting Ranchers Defeat Feds
John L. Smith
April 16, 2014
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has claimed that Agenda 21 sought to abolish “golf courses, grazing pastures, and paved roads.”
Agenda 21: The U.N. Conspiracy That Just Won’t Die
Caitlin Dickson
April 13, 2014

Historical Examples

Upon these, the deer were grazing leisurely, like cattle, in numerous herds.
Georgie's Present
Miss Brightwell
She turned to look at the grazing cow, and then turned back to him.
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine
As they are so dangerous, these reptiles should always be destroyed as much as possible in all pastures and grazing grounds.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
One day a neighbour's dog started a hare in a meadow where some cows were grazing.
The Manxman
Hall Caine
His land––that is, his grazing––lies to the west of the house.
The Hound From The North
Ridgwell Cullum

British Dictionary definitions for grazing

grazing

noun

the vegetation on pastures that is available for livestock to feed upon
the land on which this is growing

graze¹

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

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

graze²

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 Formsgrazer, noungrazingly, adverb

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for grazing

graze

v.1

"to feed," Old English grasian "to feed on grass," from græs "grass" (see grass). Cf. Middle Dutch, Middle High German grasen, Dutch grazen, German grasen. Figurative use by 1570s. Related: Grazed; grazing.

graze

v.2

"to touch," c.1600, perhaps a transferred sense from graze (v.1) via a notion of cropping grass right down to the ground (cf. German grasen "to feed on grass," used in military sense in reference to cannonballs that rebound off the ground). Related: Grazed; grazing. As a noun from 1690s.

grazing

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Origin of graze1

graze2

Origin of graze2

Related Words

Examples from the Web for grazing

Contemporary Examples

Of course that “interesting company,” alongside the grazing goats, will probably number the odd royal and Hollywood celebrity.

Then, without warning, they shot into the group, grazing two teenage boys with bullets.

“So if Cliven Bundy wishes to pay taxes or grazing fees—he should pay it to the Shoshone,” she writes.

The U.S. government says Cliven Bundy owes $1 million in grazing fees and sent in contract cowboys to round up his cattle.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has claimed that Agenda 21 sought to abolish “golf courses, grazing pastures, and paved roads.”

Historical Examples

Upon these, the deer were grazing leisurely, like cattle, in numerous herds.

She turned to look at the grazing cow, and then turned back to him.

As they are so dangerous, these reptiles should always be destroyed as much as possible in all pastures and grazing grounds.

One day a neighbour's dog started a hare in a meadow where some cows were grazing.

His land––that is, his grazing––lies to the west of the house.

grazing

graze1

Word Origin

graze2

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for grazing

graze

v.1

graze

v.2

Origin of grazing

graze¹

Origin of graze¹

graze²

Origin of graze²

graze¹

graze²