beaver

1
[ bee-ver ]
See synonyms for beaver on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural bea·vers, (especially collectively) bea·ver for 1.
  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.

  1. a flat, round hat made of beaver fur or a similar fabric.

  2. 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.

  3. Informal. a full beard or a man wearing one.

  4. Informal. an exceptionally active or hard-working person.

  5. Slang: Vulgar.

    • a woman's pubic area.

    • Offensive. a term used to refer to a woman.

  6. Textiles.

    • a cotton cloth with a thick nap, used chiefly in the manufacture of work clothes.

    • (formerly) a heavy, soft, woolen cloth with a thick nap, made to resemble beaver fur.

  7. Beaver . a native or inhabitant of Oregon, the Beaver State (used as a nickname).

verb (used without object)
  1. British. to work very hard or industriously at something (usually followed by away).

Origin of beaver

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bever, Old English beofor, befor; cognate with German Biber, akin to Lithuanian bebrùs, Russian bobr, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrús “reddish brown,” also an animal resembling a mongoose

usage note For beaver

Beaver as a term for a woman is perceived as insulting because it refers to the female in sexual terms. However, in the 1970s, it was CB radio slang, neutral in connotation and even used by women themselves as a term of self-reference.

Other words from beaver

  • bea·ver·like, bea·ver·ish, adjective

Words Nearby beaver

Other definitions for beaver (2 of 2)

beaver2
[ bee-ver ]

nounArmor.
  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 of beaver

2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bavier, bavour, beaver, from Middle French baviere (Old French: “child's bib”), equivalent to bave “spit, dribble” + -iere, from Latin -āria, feminine of -ārius -ary; alteration of vowel in the initial syllable is due to confusion with beaver hat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use beaver in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (1 of 3)

beaver1

/ (ˈbiːvə) /


noun
  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

  1. mountain beaver a burrowing rodent, Aplodontia rufa, of W North America: family Aplodontidae

  2. a tall hat of beaver fur or a fabric resembling it, worn, esp by men, during the 19th century

  3. a woollen napped cloth resembling beaver fur, formerly much used for overcoats, etc

  4. a greyish- or yellowish-brown

  5. obsolete a full beard

  6. a bearded man

  7. (modifier) having the colour of beaver or made of beaver fur or some similar material: a beaver lamb coat; a beaver stole

verb
  1. (intr usually foll by away) to work industriously or steadily

Origin of beaver

1
Old English beofor; compare Old Norse biōrr, Old High German bibar, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrú red-brown

British Dictionary definitions for beaver (2 of 3)

beaver2

/ (ˈbiːvə) /


noun
  1. a movable piece on a medieval helmet used to protect the lower part of the face

Origin of beaver

2
C15: from Old French baviere, from baver to dribble

British Dictionary definitions for Beaver (3 of 3)

Beaver

/ (ˈbiːvə) /


noun
  1. a member of a Beaver Colony, the youngest group of boys (aged 6–8 years) in the Scout Association

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with beaver

beaver

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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.