razor
Americannoun
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razors
plural
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a sharp-edged instrument used especially for shaving the face or trimming the hair.
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an electrically powered instrument used for the same purpose.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
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a sharp implement used esp by men for shaving the face
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in an acute dilemma
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of razor
1250–1300; Middle English rasour < Old French rasor, equivalent to ras ( er ) to raze + -or -or 2
Explanation
If you need to shave, you'll want to use a razor. It's a tool that's made for removing unwanted hair. There are straight razors (the old-fashioned kind that barbers sometimes use), safety razors for shaving faces and legs, and electric razors that use spinning blades to trim beards or shave heads. A hair stylist also might use razor as a verb: "Let me just razor the ends and we'll be done!" Razor comes from the Old French raser, "to scrape."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
During the brief return, Jose Luis watered the plants and grabbed his electric razor.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Zvërnec project is still in the planning phase—the fencing and razor wire have come down—and the developers are working on an environmental-impact statement for authorities to review.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
“It’s sort of a neon razor blade story of the American dream — we didn’t fit in anywhere, so we made a place for ourselves where we did fit in,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
She says she is adjusting to the sound of banging gates and jingling keys at Tai Lam Correctional Institution - a complex of concrete and razor wire that overlooks a thin strip of water.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
The headache was gnawing on my brain with rusty razor teeth.
From "The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart
Procter & Gamble declined 1.4% after the owner of brands such as Gilette razors and Crest toothpaste posted softer-than-expected revenue for its fiscal second quarter.
From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026
The room is filled with just about every type of consumer product imaginable sent in from clients: chips, shoes, razors, supplements, suitcases, shower heads, toothpaste, pillows printed with the faces of pets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025
The corporation also filed for trademark protection in more than 20 product categories, including milk, coffee, soup, pasta, and water, as well as household products such as razors and cleaners.
From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2024
Theft has prompted many retail businesses, including drug stores, to add extra security measures, such as locking allergy medicine, shaving razors, infant formula and batteries, among other items, behind plexiglass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
He trades in fountain pens for ballpoints, Wilkinson blades and his boar- bristled shaving brush for Bic razors bought six to a pack.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
