Shave /(shāv)/
Shave
p. p.
Shave
v. t.
imp. Shaved; p. p. Shaved; p. pr. & vb. n. Shaving
- To cut or pare off from the surface of a body with a razor or other edged instrument; to cut off closely, as with a razor; as, to shave the beard.
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To make bare or smooth by cutting off closely the surface, or surface covering, of; especially, to remove the hair from with a razor or other sharp instrument; to take off the beard or hair of; as, to shave the face or the crown of the head; he shaved himself.
I'll shave your crown for this.
The laborer with the bending scythe is seen Shaving the surface of the waving green.
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To cut off thin slices from; to cut in thin slices.
Plants bruised or shaven in leaf or root.
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To skim along or near the surface of; to pass close to, or touch lightly, in passing.
Now shaves with level wing the deep.
- To strip; to plunder; to fleece. [Colloq.]
Phrases & Compounds
- To shave a note
- to buy it at a discount greater than the legal rate of interest, or to deduct in discounting it more than the legal rate allows.
Shave
v. i.
- To use a razor for removing the beard; to cut closely; hence, to be hard and severe in a bargain; to practice extortion; to cheat.
Shave
n.
- A thin slice; a shaving.
- A cutting of the beard; the operation of shaving.
- An exorbitant discount on a note. [Cant, U.S.]
- A hand tool consisting of a sharp blade with a handle at each end; a drawing knife; a spokeshave.
- The act of passing very near to, so as almost to graze; as, the bullet missed by a close shave. [Colloq.]
Phrases & Compounds
- Shave grass
- the scouring rush. See the Note under Equisetum.
- Shave hook
- a tool for scraping metals, consisting of a sharp-edged triangular steel plate attached to a shank and handle.