shaved; shaved or shaven
ˈshā-vən 
; shaving
; shaving
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
4
: to come close to or touch lightly in passing
1
: to cut off hair or beard close to the skin
2
: to proceed with difficulty : scrape
Examples of shave in a Sentence
Verb
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 on the Web
Angel Saunders, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
Newcomers like closer Devin Williams, who has already shaved off his signature beard from his days with the Milwaukee Brewers, are among those who could start letting their facial hair grow out again.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2025
Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The pups, which don’t have names yet, were determined to be one male and two females after a quick neonatal exam and a delicate shave.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shave
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.
Verb
Her hair, which was shaved down to a buzz cut for her surgery, appeared to be much darker than her usual blonde.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
Newcomers like closer Devin Williams, who has already shaved off his signature beard from his days with the Milwaukee Brewers, are among those who could start letting their facial hair grow out again.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
Since it was first approved in the mid-2000s, scientist shave been studying the real-world impact of the HPV vaccine.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The pups, which don’t have names yet, were determined to be one male and two females after a quick neonatal exam and a delicate shave.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shave
Cite this Entry
“Shave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shave. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shave
1 of 2 verb
shaved; shaved or shaven
ˈshā-vən
; shaving
; shaving
1
a
: to cut off in thin layers or shreds
b
: to cut off closely
2
a
: to cut the hair from (as the head) close to the roots
b
: to cut off hair or beard close to the skin
3
: to come close to or touch lightly in passing
the tire shaved the curb
shave
2 of 2 noun1
: a tool for shaving or cutting thin slices
2
: an act or process of shaving especially the beard
3
: a narrow escape
a close shave
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share