Etymology : 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
Pronunciation : 'shAv
Function : verb
Date : before 12th century
1. having hair removed with a razor; closely trimmed. shaven having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin [syn: shaved] [ant: unshaven].
2. having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin.
3. obs. p. p. of Shave.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. To cut off thin slices from; to cut in thin slices.
7. To skim along or near the surface of; to pass close to, or touch lightly, in passing.
8. To strip; to plunder; to fleece.
9. 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.
10. A thin slice; a shaving.
11. A cutting of the beard; the operation of shaving.
12. An exorbitant discount on a note.
13. A premium paid for an extension of the time of delivery or payment, or for the right to vary a stock contract in any particular.
14. A hand tool consisting of a sharp blade with a handle at each end; a drawing knife; a spokeshave.
15. The act of passing very near to, so as almost to graze; as, the bullet missed by a close shave. the act of removing hair with a razor remove body hair with a razor touch the surface of lightly; "His back shaved the counter in passing" cut closely; "trim my beard" make shavings of or reduce to shavings; "shave the radish" cut the price of.
16. If a part of someone's body is shaven, it has been shaved. a small boy with a shaven head. see also:
clean-shaven. with all the hair shaved off.