shave

1 of 2

verb

ˈshāv 

shaved; shaved or shaven ˈshā-vən  ; shaving

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove a thin layer from

b

: to cut off in thin layers or shreds : slice

c

: to cut off closely

2

a

: to sever the hair from (the head or another part of the body) close to the roots

b

: to cut off (hair or beard) close to the skin

3

a

: to discount (a note) at an exorbitant rate

b

: deduct, reduce

c

: to conspire to score fewer (points) than one is capable of (as to affect gambling outcomes)

4

: to come close to or touch lightly in passing

intransitive verb

1

: to cut off hair or beard close to the skin

2

: to proceed with difficulty : scrape

shave

2 of 2

noun

1

: shaver sense 3

2

: a thin slice : shaving

3

: an act or the process of shaving

Synonyms

Verb

• bob
• clip
• crop
• cut
• cut back
• dock
• lop (off)
• nip
• pare
• poll
• prune
• shear
• snip
• trim

Examples of shave in a Sentence

Verb

She cut herself while shaving her legs.

The sheep were all shaved.

He shaves every morning before breakfast.

I cut myself shaving this morning.

She shaves her dog's fur in the summer.

He shaved some butter from the container.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

If you’re tempted to shave a few minutes off your extremely long wait for a roller coaster by cutting in line this summer, Knott’s Berry Farm has a warning: Respect the queue or run the risk of getting booted from the park. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024

The latest law, signed in May, is projected to shave over $1 billion annually off future property tax revenue by reducing tax rates and imposing growth limits. —Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 2 June 2024

Noun

Detective Marvin Flute is an alcoholic absentee father, doesn’t play by the rules, has a beer gut and a bad shave, misses his ex-wife, and solves crimes via semi-Surrealist dream sequences. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2024

This safe and fast shave permits quick movement around the contours of the neck and jawline, where hairs are captured at multiple angles. —Marci Robin, Allure, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English scafan; akin to Lithuanian skobti to pluck, Latin scabere to scratch, and perhaps to Greek koptein to cut — more at capon

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shave

• close shave

Kids Definition

shave

1 of 2 verb

ˈshāv 

shaved; shaved or shaven ˈshā-vən  ; shaving

1

a

: to cut off in thin layers or shreds

b

: to cut off closely

2

a

: to cut the hair from (as the head) close to the roots

b

: to cut off hair or beard close to the skin

3

: to come close to or touch lightly in passing

the tire shaved the curb

shave

2 of 2 noun

1

: a tool for shaving or cutting thin slices

2

: an act or process of shaving especially the beard

3

: a narrow escape

a close shave