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
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that troops who need an exemption from shaving their facial hair for longer than a year should get kicked out of the service.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Try to save room for dessert and pop in the backyard to Koko Kakigori, a small shop serving shave ice and sweets, like mango and sticky rice donuts.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shave
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Verb
The airline opts for an unusual southerly flight path, across some of the world’s most remote waters and close to Antarctica, a choice that China Eastern says will help shave at least four hours off the total journey.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that troops who need an exemption from shaving their facial hair for longer than a year should get kicked out of the service.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Soothing oils like shea, sweet almond, and jojoba intensely soften the skin, preventing nicks, with aloe and vitamin E stepping in to calm things down post-shave.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Try to save room for dessert and pop in the backyard to Koko Kakigori, a small shop serving shave ice and sweets, like mango and sticky rice donuts.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 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 23 Sep. 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
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