/ ʃeɪv; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
to cut hair from the skin, especially the face, using a razor :
[ v ]
Mike cut himself shaving.
[ vn ]
The nurse washed and shaved him.
a shaved head
—see also shaven
2.
[ vn ] to cut a small amount off a price, etc. :
The firm had shaved profit margins.
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PHRASAL VERBS
- shave sth off | shave sth off sth
■ noun
an act of shaving :
I need a shave.
to have a shave
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IDIOMS
see close (II) adjective
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English sc(e)afan scrape away the surface of (something) by paring , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schaven and German schaben .