shave

[ sheyv ]

/ ʃeɪv /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shave ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), shaved, shaved or (especially in combination) shav·en, shav·ing.

to remove a growth of beard with a razor.

verb (used with object), shaved, shaved or (especially in combination) shav·en, shav·ing.

to remove hair from (the face, legs, etc.) by cutting it off close to the skin with a razor.

to cut off (hair, especially the beard) close to the skin with a razor (often followed by off or away).

to cut or scrape away the surface of with a sharp-edged tool: to shave hides in preparing leather.

to reduce to shavings or thin slices: to shave wood.

to cut or trim closely: to shave a lawn.

to scrape, graze, or come very near to: The car just shaved the garage door.

Commerce. to purchase (a note) at a rate of discount greater than is legal or customary.

to reduce or deduct from: The store shaved the price of winter suits in the spring.

noun

the act, process, or an instance of shaving or being shaved.

a thin slice; a shaving.

any of various tools for shaving, scraping, removing thin slices, etc.

QUIZZES

"EVERYDAY" VS. "EVERY DAY" QUIZ: IS IT ONE WORD OR TWO?

An everyday activity is one you do every day. (Thanks, English.) Practice using "everyday," one word, and "every day," two words, in this fun quiz with … everyday example sentences!

Question 1 of 16

“Everyday" is an adjective that describes things that happen habitually or items that are normal items or events.

True

False

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of shave

before 900; (v.) Middle English schaven, schafen, Old English sc(e)afan; cognate with Dutch schaven to plane (a plank), abrade (the skin), Low German schaven, German schaben, Old Norse skafa to scrape, Gothic skaban to shear, shave; (noun) Middle English schave tool for shaving, Old English sc(e)afa, derivative of the v.

SYNONYMS FOR shave

7 brush, glance, touch.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shave ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM shave

shav·a·ble, shave·a·ble, adjectivere·shave, verb re·shaved, re·shav·ing.un·shav·a·ble, adjectiveun·shave·a·ble, adjective

un·shaved, adjectivewell-shaved, adjective

Words nearby shave

shatter cone, shattered, shatterproof, shaun, shavano peak, shave, shave biopsy, shaveling, shaven, shaver, shavetail

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for shave

The only time they asked me to do something was grow my hair so they could shave it in that one scene.
‘Boyhood’ Star Ellar Coltrane: An Astonishing Debut 12 Years in the Making|Kevin Fallon|July 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is a big difference between imagining not shaving and actually trying to not shave.
Meet the Professor of Hairy Studies|Lizzie Crocker|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to Fahs, the “labor intensive” assignment “gives men some insight into what women who shave go through.”
Meet the Professor of Hairy Studies|Lizzie Crocker|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Budgets are out of control because government executives lack flexibility to shave here and there to make ends meet.
Government Has Made America Inept|Philip K. Howard|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Tipitina's in the warm blue fog, squatting beneath a crescent moon so sharp and clean you could shave a wild hog with it.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou|John Ed Bradley|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Beyond a shave and a hair-cut, Forrest and I fought shy of public places.
The Outlet|Andy Adams
On Friday evening he came home hurriedly, staying just long enough to shave and change his collar.
Shandygaff|Christopher Morley
You came twice to my bedroom to hurry me down, and I dared not stop to shave.
Cats|W. Gordon Stables
Men look into a mirror, and see only whiskers they forgot to shave the day before.
King--of the Khyber Rifles|Talbot Mundy
Perhaps the best way will be to shave lightly over the face the second time, in the same direction as at first.
Shaving Made Easy|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for shave

shave

/ (ʃeɪv) /

verb shaves, shaving, shaved, shaved or shaven (mainly tr)

(also intr) to remove (the beard, hair, etc) from (the face, head, or body) by scraping the skin with a razor

to cut or trim very closely

to reduce to shavings

to remove thin slices from (wood, etc) with a sharp cutting tool; plane or pare

to touch or graze in passing

informal to reduce (a price) by a slight amount

US commerce to purchase (a commercial paper) at a greater rate of discount than is customary or legal

noun

the act or an instance of shaving

any tool for scraping

a thin slice or shaving

an instance of barely touching something

close shave informal a narrow escape

Derived forms of shave

shavable or shaveable, adjective

Word Origin for shave

Old English sceafan; related to Old Norse skafa, Gothic skaban to shave, Latin scabere to scrape

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

Idioms and Phrases with shave

shave

see close call (shave).

shave

verb (used without object), shaved, shaved or (especially in combination) shav·en, shav·ing.

verb (used with object), shaved, shaved or (especially in combination) shav·en, shav·ing.

noun

QUIZZES

"EVERYDAY" VS. "EVERY DAY" QUIZ: IS IT ONE WORD OR TWO?

Origin of shave

SYNONYMS FOR shave

OTHER WORDS FROM shave

Words nearby shave

Words related to shave

Example sentences from the Web for shave

British Dictionary definitions for shave

verb shaves, shaving, shaved, shaved or shaven (mainly tr)

noun

Derived forms of shave

Word Origin for shave

Idioms and Phrases with shave