shave
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Related to shave: shave off
shave
(shāv)v. shaved, shaved or shav·en (shā′vən), shav·ing, shaves
v.tr.
1.
a. To remove the beard or other body hair from, with a razor or shaver: The barber lathered his face and then shaved him.
b. To cut (the beard, for example) at the surface of the skin with a razor or shaver.
2. To crop, trim, or mow closely: shave a meadow.
3.
a. To remove thin slices from: shave a board.
b. To cut or scrape into thin slices; shred: shave chocolate.
4. To come close to or graze in passing. See Synonyms at brush1.
5.
a. To reduce by a small amount: shaved two months from the schedule.
b. To cut (a price) by a slight margin.
c. To purchase (a note) at a reduction greater than the legal or customary rate.
d. To limit the number of (points) scored by one's own team in an athletic contest by point-shaving.
v.intr.
To remove the beard or other body hair with a razor or shaver.
n.
1. The act, process, or result of shaving.
2. A thin slice or scraping; a shaving.
3. Any of various tools used for shaving.
[Middle English shaven, to scrape, from Old English sceafan.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
shave
(ʃeɪv)vb (mainly tr) , shaves, shaving, shaved, shaved or shaven
1. (Hairdressing & Grooming) (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. (Building) to remove thin slices from (wood, etc) with a sharp cutting tool; plane or pare
5. to touch or graze in passing
6. (Commerce) informal to reduce (a price) by a slight amount
7. (Commerce) commerce US to purchase (a commercial paper) at a greater rate of discount than is customary or legal
n
8. (Hairdressing & Grooming) the act or an instance of shaving
9. (Tools) any tool for scraping
10. a thin slice or shaving
11. an instance of barely touching something
12. close shave informal a narrow escape
[Old English sceafan; related to Old Norse skafa, Gothic skaban to shave, Latin scabere to scrape]
ˈshavable, ˈshaveable adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
shave
(ʃeɪv)v. shaved, shaved (esp. in combination) shav•en, shav•ing, v.i.
1. to remove a growth of hair or beard with a razor.
v.t. 2. to remove hair from (the face, legs, etc.) by cutting it off close to the skin with a razor.
3. to cut off (hair, esp. the beard) close to the skin with a razor (often fol. by off or away).
4. to cut or scrape away the surface of with a sharp-edged tool.
5. to reduce to shavings or thin slices.
6. to cut or trim closely: to shave a lawn.
7. to scrape, graze, or come very near to: The car just shaved the garage door.
8. to purchase (a note) at a rate of discount greater than is legal or customary.
9. to reduce or deduct from (a price).
n. 10. the act, process, or an instance of shaving or being shaved.
11. a thin slice; shaving.
12. any of various tools for shaving, scraping, removing thin slices, etc.
[before 900; (v.) Old English sc(e)afan, c. Middle Dutch, Middle Low German schaven, Old High German schaben, Old Norse skafa to scrape, shave, Gothic skaban to shear]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
shave
When a man shaves, he cuts hair from his face using a razor.
He shaved and dressed, and went downstairs.
Be Careful!
Shave is not usually a reflexive verb. You don't normally say that a man 'shaves himself'.
In conversation, you usually say that a man has a shave, rather than that he 'shaves'.
I can't remember when I last had a shave.
Shave can also be used as a transitive verb, meaning that someone removes hair from a particular part of their body using a razor.
Marta had a shower and shaved her legs.
He was starting to go bald, so he decided to shave his head.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
shave
Past participle: shaven
Gerund: shaving
| Imperative |
|---|
| shave |
| shave |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  shave - the act of removing hair with a razordepilation, epilation - the act of removing hair (as from an animal skin) tonsure - shaving the crown of the head by priests or members of a monastic order |
| Verb | 1. | shave - remove body hair with a razor razor - shave with a razor tonsure - shave the head of a newly inducted monk |
| 2. |  shave - cut closely; "trim my beard" cut - shorten as if by severing the edges or ends of; "cut my hair" | |
| 3. | shave - cut the price of cut down, reduce, trim back, trim down, cut, cut back, trim, bring down - cut down on; make a reduction in; "reduce your daily fat intake"; "The employer wants to cut back health benefits" mark down - reduce the price of | |
| 4. | shave - cut or remove with or as if with a plane; "The machine shaved off fine layers from the piece of wood" cut - separate with or as if with an instrument; "Cut the rope" | |
| 5. | shave - make shavings of or reduce to shavings; "shave the radish" | |
| 6. | shave - touch the surface of lightly; "His back shaved the counter in passing" skive - remove the surface of; "skive leather" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
shave
verb
3. reduce, lower, slash, decrease, discount, cut down, mark down Supermarket chains have shaved prices.
5. brush past, touch, graze, kiss, glance off The ball shaved the goalpost.
close shave lucky escape, close call, narrow escape I can't quite believe the close shaves I've had recently.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
shave
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
shave
[ʃeɪv] (shaved (vb: pt) (shaved) (shaven (pp)))A. N to have a shave → afeitarse, rasurarse (esp LAm)
to have a close or narrow shave (fig) → salvarse de milagro or por los pelos
that was a close shave! → ¡qué poco le ha faltado!, ¡(ha sido) por los pelos!
to have a close or narrow shave (fig) → salvarse de milagro or por los pelos
that was a close shave! → ¡qué poco le ha faltado!, ¡(ha sido) por los pelos!
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
shave
(ʃeiv) verb1. to cut away (hair) from (usually oneself) with a razor. He only shaves once a week.afeitarse
2. (sometimes with off) to scrape or cut away (the surface of wood etc). The joiner shaved a thin strip off the edge of the door.cepillar
3. to touch lightly in passing. The car shaved the wall.pasar rozando
noun (the result of) an act of shaving. afeitado
ˈshaven adjective shaved. He was dark and clean- shaven.afeitado
ˈshavings noun plural very thin strips especially of wood. The glasses were packed in wood shavings.viruta
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
shave
→ afeitarseMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
shave
v. afeitar; afeitarse.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
shave
vt, vi afeitar(se)English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.