I. ˈgrāz verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English grasen, from Old English grasian, from græs grass — more at grass
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to feed on growing herbage : crop and eat grass
cattle grazing on the slopes
often : to feed while moving along a more or less definite course
the heifer slowly grazed out of sight
antelopes grazing toward the water hole
b. : to feed in the manner of a grazing animal especially by nibbling at a surface growth
parrot fishes grazed among the coral trees
2. dialect England : to yield herbage for grazing
3. : to put cattle to graze
we used to graze on the upland flush in late spring
transitive verb
1. : to crop and eat (growing herbage) : feed on the herbage of (as a pasture) — compare browse
2.
a. : to cause or put (as cattle) to graze
grazed his stock on the water meadow
b. : to cause or put cattle to graze on (as herbage or a pasture)
grazed the upper field after taking an early crop of hay
— often used with down
planned to graze down the aftermath
c. obsolete : to have charge of (grazing cattle)
3. : to supply herbage for the grazing of
count on that pasture to graze 30 head during August
Synonyms: see feed
II. noun
( -s )
1. : an act of grazing
nothing better for a horse than a good graze on fresh young grass
2. : herbage for or suitable for grazing
3. : grazing land
III. verb
Etymology: perhaps from graze (I)
transitive verb
1. : to rub or touch lightly in passing : touch and glance off : barely touch
the falling tree just grazed his chair
2. : to scratch or abrade by or as if by rubbing on a rough surface
we got through, though we grazed both fenders slightly
fell and grazed her knee
intransitive verb
: to touch or rub against something in passing or so as to produce a scratch or abrasion
our fenders just grazed
IV. noun
: a scraping along a surface or an abrasion made by such scraping: as
a. : glide II 4a
b. : a burst of an artillery projectile on impact with the ground or other material object
c. : a superficial abrasion of the skin
V. intransitive verb
: to eat small portions of food throughout the day instead of three meals
• grazer noun