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.
Origin of shave
before 900; (v.) Middle Englishschaven, schafen,Old Englishsc(e)afan; cognate with Dutchschaven to plane (a plank), abrade (the skin), Low Germanschaven,Germanschaben,Old Norseskafa to scrape, Gothicskaban to shear, shave; (noun) Middle Englishschave tool for shaving, Old Englishsc(e)afa, derivative of the v.
Related formsshav·a·ble, shave·a·ble, adjectivere·shave, verbre·shaved,re·shav·ing.un·shav·a·ble, adjectiveun·shave·a·ble, adjectiveun·shaved, adjectivewell-shaved, adjective
Old English sceafan (strong verb, past tense scof, past participle scafen), "to scrape, shave, polish," from Proto-Germanic *skaban (cf. Old Norse skafa, Middle Dutch scaven, German schaben, Gothic skaban "scratch, shave, scrape"), from PIE *skabh-, collateral form of root *(s)kep- "to cut, to scrape, to hack" (see scabies). Related: Shaved; shaving. Original strong verb status is preserved in past tense form shaven. Specifically in reference to cutting the hair close from mid-13c. Figurative sense of "to strip (someone) of money or possessions" is attested from late 14c.
n.
c.1600, "something shaved off;" from shave (v.); Old English sceafa meant "tool for shaving." Meaning "operation of shaving" is from 1838. Meaning "a grazing touch" is recorded from 1834. Phrase a close shave is from 1856, on notion of "a slight, grazing touch."
