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View synonyms for shave

shave

[ sheyv ]

verb (used without object)

, shaved, shaved or (especially in combination) shav·en, shav·ing.
  1. to remove a growth of beard with a razor.


verb (used with object)

, shaved, shaved or (especially in combination) shav·en, shav·ing.
  1. to remove hair from (the face, legs, etc.) by cutting it off close to the skin with a razor.
  2. to cut off (hair, especially the beard) close to the skin with a razor (often followed by off or away ).
  3. to cut or scrape away the surface of with a sharp-edged tool:

    to shave hides in preparing leather.

  4. to reduce to shavings or thin slices:

    to shave wood.

  5. to cut or trim closely:

    to shave a lawn.

  6. to scrape, graze, or come very near to:

    The car just shaved the garage door.

    Synonyms: touch, glance, brush

  7. Commerce. to purchase (a note) at a rate of discount greater than is legal or customary.
  8. to reduce or deduct from:

    The store shaved the price of winter suits in the spring.

noun

  1. the act, process, or an instance of shaving or being shaved.
  2. a thin slice; a shaving.
  3. any of various tools for shaving, scraping, removing thin slices, etc.

shave

/ ʃeɪv /

verb

  1. also intr to remove (the beard, hair, etc) from (the face, head, or body) by scraping the skin with a razor
  2. to cut or trim very closely
  3. to reduce to shavings
  4. to remove thin slices from (wood, etc) with a sharp cutting tool; plane or pare
  5. to touch or graze in passing
  6. informal.
    to reduce (a price) by a slight amount
  7. commerce to purchase (a commercial paper) at a greater rate of discount than is customary or legal


noun

  1. the act or an instance of shaving
  2. any tool for scraping
  3. a thin slice or shaving
  4. an instance of barely touching something
  5. close shave informal.
    close shave a narrow escape

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Derived Forms

  • ˈshavable, adjective

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Other Words From

  • shava·ble shavea·ble adjective
  • re·shave verb reshaved reshaving
  • un·shava·ble adjective
  • un·shavea·ble adjective
  • un·shaved adjective
  • well-shaved adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of shave1

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.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of shave1

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

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Idioms and Phrases

see close call (shave) .

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Example Sentences

There are even some dry shave trimmers that have a built-in vacuum to pick up all the little hairs that you’ve recently snipped off.

The most popular trimmers, however, are ones that can handle both a wet and dry shave.

It would be a shame to pop out of the shower only to realize your beard needs to be fully dry before a shave, and you need to be on your way to work.

The one drawback of these is they might not be able to give you as close a shave.

Although you can pay well over $100 for the bells and whistles offered by some brands, you don’t have to shell out a lot to get a great shave.

The only time they asked me to do something was grow my hair so they could shave it in that one scene.

There is a big difference between imagining not shaving and actually trying to not shave.

According to Fahs, the “labor intensive” assignment “gives men some insight into what women who shave go through.”

Budgets are out of control because government executives lack flexibility to shave here and there to make ends meet.

Tipitina's in the warm blue fog, squatting beneath a crescent moon so sharp and clean you could shave a wild hog with it.

Neither shall they shave their heads, nor wear long hair: but they shall only poll their heads.

"That was a hell o' a narrow shave," quietly observed Tam Donaldson, as they panted together, and tried to collect themselves.

The monks have become so luxurious that they refuse to shave their heads and have commenced to array themselves in fine clothes.

On our way we had a near shave, for out of the darkness whizzed a shrapnel shell.

I was very much surprised when, after seven days without being able to shave, to see my face come out perfectly black all over!

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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.

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Shavano Peakshaveling