shave

verb \ ˈshāv \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 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

Unlike many of its neighbors, Colleyville doesn’t have a homestead exemption, which allows homeowners to shave a percentage of their home’s value before calculating their tax bill.

— gordon dickson and nicholas sakelaris, star-telegram, "Priced out of their home? North Texans see tax bill rise $1,200 in five years," 6 July 2018
The upshot is that universal credit is expected to end up being about £2bn ($2.7bn) less generous overall than the previous (already hard-nosed) system, shaving around 3% off the total bill.

— The Economist, "Britain’s switch to a “universal credit” is not going well," 31 May 2018
To find out why, Hu and colleagues used a hair-thin nylon filament to apply a precise amount of pressure to a patch of shaved skin on young and old rodents’ necks.

— emily underwood, Science | AAAS, "Why getting old gives you itchy skin," 3 May 2018
Use a vegetable peeler to shave the ricotta over the whole plate.

— jeanmarie brownson, charlotteobserver, "Hungry for salad season? Citrus salads will get you through | Charlotte Observer," 17 Apr. 2018
Havre de Grace resident David Brown chatted with the Saacks before going on stage to get his head shaved.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Heads shaved in Havre de Grace to raise more than $80,000 for children's cancer research," 2 Apr. 2018
Beyond haircuts, shaves and beard trims, Castellon offers a botanical wash that starts with raw aloe vera hand-muddled in a molcajete.

— maggie menderski, The Courier-Journal, "NuLu's new barbershop is keeping patrons as fresh as the neighborhood," 10 July 2018
The victim shaved a portion of the cat and discovered three BB pellets.

— staff report, Daily Southtown, "Southland police blotter," 10 July 2018
It has been lowered, shaved, and has disc brakes from a ’67 Pontiac, rocker trim from a ’66 Bonneville, window channel trim from a ’65 Buick, dual pinstripe whitewall tires and hubcaps with chrome bullets from a ’62 Tempest.

— heidi van horne, Houston Chronicle, "1965 Pontiac Bonneville passed hands from one friend to another," 7 July 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

The vehicle was unlocked and ear buds and a shave bag were removed.

— dan white, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Davie, Cooper City area crime reports," 11 July 2018
Check with your vet to see if your dog requires a summer shave.

— fiza pirani, ajc, "7 ways to protect your dog from heat stroke and hyperthermia," 20 June 2018
Hokulia, makers of authentic Hawaiian shave ice, also return this year with free refreshments while supplies last.

— nicole miller-coleman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Expect beauty, serenity and a touch of magic at Night of the Luminaries," 17 June 2018
Why not just send them a scorching email or a bottle of Hai Karate after-shave?

— john kass, chicagotribune.com, "What not to get dad for Father's Day," 15 June 2018
Finish up with a nice after-shave balm specially formulated for sensitive skin.

— for kroger, The Courier-Journal, "7 gift ideas to wow your dad on Father's Day – all at your local Kroger," 14 June 2018
With the coworker who mentions the podcast you, too, are hooked on, the stranger in your gym class seems who mildly intriguing, or even the guy next to you, getting a shave at John Allan's.

— joshua david stein, Esquire, "6 Ways To Use Your Lunch Hour to the Fullest," 17 May 2017
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

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

shave

noun

Definition of shave for English Language Learners

: an act of shaving

SHAVE Defined for Kids

shave

verb \ ˈshāv \

Definition of shave for Students

shaved; shaved or shaven \ˈshā-vən\; shaving

1 : to cut or trim off a thin layer of (as with a sharp blade)

I shaved the wood from the tip of the pencil.

2 : to cut off very close to the skin

He shaved the hair from his head.

3 : to make bare or smooth by cutting the hair from

He shaved his face.

shave

noun

Definition of shave for Students

1 : an act of making bare or smooth by cutting the hair from

2 : a narrow escape

a close shave

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See words that rhyme with shave Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shave Spanish Central: Translation of shave Nglish: Translation of shave for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shave for Arabic speakers

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shave

Definition of shave

Examples of shave in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of shave

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Synonyms

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shave

Definition of shave

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First Known Use of shave

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SHAVE Defined for English Language Learners

shave

Definition of shave for English Language Learners

shave

Definition of shave for English Language Learners

SHAVE Defined for Kids

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