shave

1 of 2

verb

shaved; shaved or shaven ˈshā-vən How to pronounce shave (audio) ; 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
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

shave

2 of 2

noun

1
2
: a thin slice : shaving
3
: an act or the process of shaving

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
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

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shave was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shave. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

shave

1 of 2 verb
shaved; shaved or shaven ˈshā-vən How to pronounce shave (audio) ; 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 noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on shave

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