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
Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 May 2025
Inside the prison, they were forced to kneel as their heads were shaved by guards.
—Nidia Cavazos, CBS News, 23 May 2025
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Snorkeling, surfing, and bird-watching are also popular throughout the island, as is hunting down the best shave ice and poke.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shave
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Fred’s highlight this season has been shaving his beard.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 May 2025
Inside the prison, they were forced to kneel as their heads were shaved by guards.
—Nidia Cavazos, CBS News, 23 May 2025
Noun
The shave ice was actually the idea of our writer, Chris Bright, who's Hawaiian.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Snorkeling, surfing, and bird-watching are also popular throughout the island, as is hunting down the best shave ice and poke.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Mar. 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 3 Jun. 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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