Related Searches
Nearby Words

beaver

 [bee-ver]   Origin

bea·ver

1   [bee-ver] noun, plural -vers, (especially collectively) -ver for 1; verb
noun
1.
a large, amphibious rodent of the genus Castor, having sharp incisors, webbed hind feet, and a flattened tail, noted for its ability to dam streams with trees, branches, etc.
2.
the fur of this animal.
3.
a flat, round hat made of beaver fur or a similar fabric.
4.
a tall, cylindrical hat for men, formerly made of beaver and now of a fabric simulating this fur. Compare opera hat, silk hat, top hat.
5.
Informal. a full beard or a man wearing one.
EXPAND
6.
Informal. an exceptionally active or hard-working person.
7.
Slang: Vulgar.
a.
a woman's pubic area.
b.
Offensive. a woman.
8.
Textiles.
a.
a cotton cloth with a thick nap, used chiefly in the manufacture of work clothes.
b.
(formerly) a heavy, soft, woolen cloth with a thick nap, made to resemble beaver fur.
9.
(initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Oregon, the Beaver State (used as a nickname).
COLLAPSE
verb (used without object)
10.
British. to work very hard or industriously at something (usually followed by away).
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English bever, Old English beofor, befor; cognate with German Biber, Lithuanian bebrùs, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrús reddish brown, large ichneumon

Related forms
bea·ver·like, bea·ver·ish, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged

bea·ver

2   [bee-ver]
noun Armor.
1.
a piece of plate armor for covering the lower part of the face and throat, worn especially with an open helmet, as a sallet or basinet. Compare buffe, wrapper (def. 7).
2.
a piece of plate armor, pivoted at the sides, forming part of a close helmet below the visor or ventail.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English bavier, bavour < Middle French baviere (Old French: bib), equivalent to bave spit, dribble + -iere < Latin -āria, feminine of -ārius -ary; alteration of vowel in the initial syllable is unexplained
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To beaver
Collins
World English Dictionary
beaver1 (ˈbiːvə)
 
—n
1.  a large amphibious rodent, Castor fiber, of Europe, Asia, and North America: family Castoridae. It has soft brown fur, a broad flat hairless tail, and webbed hind feet, and constructs complex dams and houses (lodges) in rivers
2.  the fur of this animal
3.  mountain beaver a burrowing rodent, Aplodontia rufa, of W North America: family Aplodontidae
4.  a tall hat of beaver fur or a fabric resembling it, worn, esp by men, during the 19th century
5.  a woollen napped cloth resembling beaver fur, formerly much used for overcoats, etc
6.  a greyish- or yellowish-brown
7.  obsolete a full beard
8.  a bearded man
9.  (modifier) having the colour of beaver or made of beaver fur or some similar material: a beaver lamb coat; a beaver stole
 
—vb (usually foll by away)
10.  to work industriously or steadily
 
[Old English beofor; compare Old Norse biōrr, Old High German bibar, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrú red-brown]

beaver2 (ˈbiːvə)
 
—n
a movable piece on a medieval helmet used to protect the lower part of the face
 
[C15: from Old French baviere, from baver to dribble]

Beaver (ˈbiːvə)
 
—n
a member of a Beaver Colony, the youngest group of boys (aged 6--8 years) in the Scout Association

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

beaver
O.E. beofor (earlier bebr), from P.Gmc. *bebruz (cf. O.N. biorr, Low Ger. bever, O.H.G. bibar), from PIE *bhebhrus, reduplication of base *bhru- "brown" (cf. Lith. bebrus, Czech bobr, Welsh befer; see bear (n.) for reason for this). Gynecological sense ("female genitals, especially
EXPAND
with a display of pubic hair") is 1927 British slang, transferred from earlier meaning "a bearded man" (1910), from the appearance of split beaver pelts.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

beaver definition


  1. n.
    the female genitals. (Usually objectionable.) : He thought he could see her beaver through her swimming suit.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

beaver

see busy as a beaver; eager beaver; work like a beaver.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriThesaurus
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT
How many words do you know? FIND OUT