shave

verb \ ˈshāv \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: shave in a Sentence

Definition of shave

shaved; shaved or shaven play \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

See shave defined for English-language learners

See shave defined for kids

Examples of shave in a Sentence

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 of shave from the Web

For communities such as Orland Park that have home rule sales taxes, the state had levied an administrative fee amounting to 2 percent of collections, but the new state budget shaves that to 1.5 percent.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "New taxes, job cuts possible as Orland Park officials tackle budget gap," 8 June 2018
The cookie is then rolled in shaved coconut, adding decadent texture to this positively addictive dessert, offering yet more evidence that Yummy Pollo goes well beyond the call of the average chicken joint.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Yummy Pollo's rotisserie chicken is a recipe for Peruvian perfection," 16 May 2018
On two recent occasions, my husband shaved his pubes.

— dan savage, Chicago Reader, "‘Can I ask my husband to stop shaving his pubes?’," 2 May 2018
Charlotte Winder, of Joppatowne, got her head shaved for the third year.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Heads shaved in Havre de Grace to raise more than $80,000 for children's cancer research," 2 Apr. 2018
Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, falls toward the end of hajj, and pilgrims sacrifice an animal, and shave their heads (men) or cut their hair (women).

— katherine lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Beauty—and Business—of the Hajj," 29 Mar. 2018
Of course, Callahan's method uses shaved ice—not the cold stuff piling up outside your house, which could contain contaminants.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "This Snowball Shot Idea Is the Only Thing That's Getting Us Through This Cold Snap," 7 Jan. 2018
But any activities requiring effort and, er, shaving your legs?

— mallory schlossberg, Redbook, "13 Signs You Need to Spice Up Your Marriage ASAP," 16 Feb. 2017
Moody’s, a credit-rating agency, estimates that Mr Trump’s initial set of tariffs, valued at $50bn, would shave only 0.14 percentage points from China’s growth rate—a rounding error for an economy that is expected to grow by about 6.5% this year.

— The Economist, "A threatened trade war between China and America may be on hold," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of shave

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

shave Synonyms

Synonyms

brush, graze, kiss, nudge, skim;

Near Antonyms

bang, bash, bump, clash, collide, crash, hit, impact, impinge, knock, punch, ram, slam, slap, smack, smash, swipe, thud, thwack, whack;

bounce, carom, glance, rebound, ricochet, skip;

caress, cuddle, fondle, love, pat, pet, stroke;

miss, skirt;

shave

noun

Definition of shave

1 : shaver 3

2 : a thin slice : shaving

3 : an act or the process of shaving

See shave defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of shave from the Web

Anyone who had a haircut and a shave there knew an enjoyable time always awaited at Battle’s Barber Shop.

— frederick n. rasmussen, baltimoresun.com, "John Battle, veteran Sandtown-Winchester barber and minister, dies," 5 June 2018
Daniel Mollino, 34, a part-time lobbyist in Ringwood, N.J., uses makeup to softly conceal some scars on his face and his post-shave skin splotches.

— jacob gallagher, WSJ, "More Men Are Wearing Makeup Than You Think—Here’s Why," 13 Apr. 2018
After all that healthy poke, Jan suggests indulging in traditional Hawaiian shave ice for dessert.

— larry bleiberg, USA TODAY, "10 great places to try Hawaiian poke on the mainland," 18 May 2018
Carrie Underwood‘s 3-year-old son Isaiah Michael is already learning the art of the perfect shave!

— maria pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Shaving Time! Carrie Underwood's Son Isaiah Trims Mike Fisher's Playoff Beard Since He's 'Out of a Job'," 11 May 2018
Today, the traditional shave and other services (still complete with complimentary shoe shine) are performed by barbers nattily attired in white shirt with monogrammed waistcoat and tie.

— amy tara koch, New York Times, "A Road Map to Shopping Like a Royal in London," 9 May 2018
If the restaurant’s Chicago menu is any indication, Fusion Poke likely would serve Taiwanese-style shaved ice, made from flavored frozen milk, instead of Hawaiian shave ice.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Fusion Poke could open in mid-May on the east side," 12 Apr. 2018
When: 2002Why: Amber Rose’s blonde shave was influenced by another famous woman: Sinéad O’Connor.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "A Brief History of Famous Women Shaving Their Heads," 2 Mar. 2018
Whatever your shave routine, there's no doubt that a good electric razor makes life easier.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "These Are the Best Electric Razors You Can Get," 23 Jan. 2018

First Known Use of shave

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

SHAVE Defined for English Language Learners

shave

verb

Definition of shave for English Language Learners

: to cut the hair, wool, etc., off (someone or something) very close to the skin
: to cut off (hair, wool, a beard, etc.) very close to the skin
: to remove a thin layer of (something) from something