shave

verb \ ˈshāv \

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

A fun fact: Romero famously refused to shave his mustache for the role, so the make-up artists for the show (and subsequent movie) simply painted over it with additional white foundation.

— laura bradley, HWD, "Can TV’s New Favorite Producers Save Warner Bros.’ Most Maligned Franchise?," 24 Aug. 2017
Shaved red onion and cilantro top off the dish, which is served with Sky Flake crackers.

— carolina gusman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Ferragosto and Latin Food Fest top this week's dining events," 16 Aug. 2017
His response was an ambitious plan to modernize procedures that would also shave $5.2 billion off a projected $17.8 billion price tag.

— jeffrey mervis, Science | AAAS, "Money, politics, and abandoned homes: Why the 2020 Census might be in jeopardy," 24 July 2017
La Panadería’s aguas frescas and Mexican shaved ices are lovely, made with tons of fresh fruit and not too much organic raw cane sugar, in flavors like pineapple, mango and tamarind.

— bethany jean clement, The Seattle Times, "How Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park just got even better (hint: it involves tamales)," 12 July 2017
Specialties: The Dandylion features vegetarian chili topped with tortilla chips, fresh diced tomatoes and scallions on top of a bed of greens and quinoa served with shaved cheddar and green goddess dressing.

— jessi virtusio, Post-Tribune, "Globally inspired, locally sourced food at Redbird Cafe in Homewood," 12 July 2017
For Larson, his Cup season points lead was shaved to one point over Truex.

— tom groeschen, The Courier-Journal, "Truex Jr. breaks Busch, Keselowski stranglehold at Kentucky Speedway," 9 July 2017
Cara, too, shaved her hair for her upcoming role alongside Jaden Smith in Life in a Year.

— elizabeth logan, Teen Vogue, "Katy Perry and Cara Delevingne Wear Matching Hairstyles in Paris," 6 July 2017
It may be dressed down (good olive oil, lemon, crunchy salt) or gussied up (tiny herbs, shaved veggies), but either way the idea is simple: to highlight and enhance the very best that the sea has to offer.

— alison roman, Bon Appetit, "You Can Totally Master Crudo at Home," 5 July 2017

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

See Words from the same year

shave Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

skive, whittle; manicure, mow; pinch, stump; curtail, shorten

Near Antonyms

elongate, extend, lengthen

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

And others are evening out all manner of half-shaves and tapered cuts.

— elizabeth wellington, Philly.com, "This summer's pixie is grown up and cuter than ever," 18 Aug. 2017
The surprising dangers of grooming your pubic hair Most adults in the U.S. shave, wax or groom their pubic hair.

— alexandra sifferlin, Time, "The Best Exercise For Fat Loss: This Week in Health," 17 Aug. 2017
Most adults in the U.S. shave, wax or groom their pubic hair.

— alice park, PEOPLE.com, "A Quarter of Americans Injure Themselves Grooming Their Pubic Hair," 17 Aug. 2017
Must-have grooming products: Anti-bacteria face wash, beard trimmers, barber scissors, after-shave and my Jergens lotion (original scent).

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Dapper JCPS teacher shares lessons for his back-to-school fashion," 10 Aug. 2017
Old-timers getting a shave and shoeshine at Phyllis House of Style could watch out the window at long-haired newcomers walking by, some in beads and bells, others in top hats and frock coats, velvet and flowers and fringe.

— Longreads, "The Hippies Who Hated the Summer of Love," 7 Aug. 2017
Every haircut includes a hot lather neck shave and ends with a relaxing shoulder massage.

— helen wolt, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Old-school barbershop returns at V's," 7 Aug. 2017
The entire collection's packaging is rose gold and bronze, because #millennial, and includes the usual personal-hygiene staples, like a gentle wash, some cleansing wipes, and a post-shave cream.

— chloe metzger, Marie Claire, "Vagina Makeup Exists, Because This Is the World We Live in Now," 25 July 2017
Other services include a hot towel to the face (with or without a shave), a face mask during the hair cut and a few shops offer manicures.

— phillip molnar, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Tijuana barber shops are all the rage," 24 July 2017

First Known Use of shave

before 12th century

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