razor
Americannoun
-
a sharp-edged instrument used especially for shaving the face or trimming the hair.
-
an electrically powered instrument used for the same purpose.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
-
a sharp implement used esp by men for shaving the face
-
in an acute dilemma
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
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
Once a symbol of cooperation, the 'Friendship Bridge' connecting the two snow-covered banks has been reinforced with rows of razor wire and anti-tank obstacles.
From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026
After six years at razor company Gillette, he took a business planning job at Disneyland in 1998.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
So on a recent warm, sunny day, she hiked miles into the remote desert to confirm her suspicion — that razor wire now filled what not long ago was open terrain.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026
Third comes "select,” the process of sliding the razor prior to the fourth Therblig, "grasp.”
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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.
