Illustration of beaver
- B beaver 1
plural beavers
1
or plural beaver
a
: either of two large semiaquatic herbivorous rodents comprising a family (Castoridae including Castor canadensis of North America and C. fiber of Eurasia), having webbed hind feet and a broad flat scaly tail, and constructing dams and partially submerged lodges
b
: the fur or pelt of the beaver
2
a
: a hat made of beaver fur or a fabric imitation
b
: silk hat
3
: a heavy fabric of felted wool or of cotton napped on both sides
4
vulgar
: the genitals of a female especially when covered with pubic hair
1
: a piece of armor protecting the lower part of the face
2
: a helmet visor
beavered; beavering; beavers
: to work energetically
beavering away at the problem
Examples of beaver in a Sentence
Verb
he's been beavering away at the various courses for his dinner party all day long, hoping to impress his new friends
Recent Examples on the Web
Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
The beaver moon, also a supermoon, will peak Nov. 5, 2025.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Upon their return—primarily after the reintroduction of wolves—beavers built dams and ponds, slowing water flow and restoring river ecosystems.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 29 Aug. 2025
The four-person cast does an admirable job getting the point across with puppets — a fight between insects turns memorable when the bee loses an antenna — but a chunk gets lost in translation during the show’s latter-half encounters with unruly beavers and a traveling beggar.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beaver
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Historically, humans have certainly not benefited beavers.
—Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
The beaver moon, also a supermoon, will peak Nov. 5, 2025.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Upon their return—primarily after the reintroduction of wolves—beavers built dams and ponds, slowing water flow and restoring river ecosystems.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 29 Aug. 2025
The four-person cast does an admirable job getting the point across with puppets — a fight between insects turns memorable when the bee loses an antenna — but a chunk gets lost in translation during the show’s latter-half encounters with unruly beavers and a traveling beggar.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beaver
Cite this Entry
“Beaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beaver. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
beaver
1 of 2 noun
bea·ver
ˈbē-vər 
plural beaver or beavers
1
: a large plant-eating rodent that has webbed hind feet and a broad flat tail and that builds dams and houses of mud and branches which are partly underwater
2
: the fur of a beaver
beaver
2 of 2 noun
: a piece of armor protecting the lower part of the face
Geographical Definition
Beaver
geographical name
Bea·ver
ˈbē-vər
1
river 280 miles (451 kilometers) long in northwestern Oklahoma forming the upper course of the North Canadian River
2
river 305 miles (491 kilometers) long Canada in Alberta and Saskatchewan flowing east into the Churchill River
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share