shave
shave — noun
- shavesingular
- shavesplural
1. the action of removing hair from the skin using a razor, done most commonly by m
the action of removing hair from the skin using a razor, done most commonly by men on their faces each day
Takeshi decided he needed a shave before the job interview.
collocation: need a shave
Selim the barber gave the young man a close shave with a straight razor.
collocation: a close shave
After a week of camping, Hoa was desperate for a hot shower and a shave.
A quick shave with an electric razor takes Rachid less than two minutes.
- trim
less complete removal, usually with scissors rather than a razor
文法句型
have a shave
need a shave
give someone a shave
shave — verb
- shavepresent simple I / you / we / they
- shaveshe / she / it
- shavedpast simple
- shaving-ing form
1. to cut hair off the skin using a razor, leaving the area smooth — often done on
to cut hair off the skin using a razor, leaving the area smooth — often done on the face by men, but also on other body parts by anyone
Tamás shaves his face every morning before heading to work.
transitive: shave + body part
Before the beach trip, Shanti shaved her legs in the shower.
The night-shift nurse shaved the patient's head carefully before the surgery.
Tariro cut his chin while trying to shave with a dull disposable razor.
Beatriz has been shaving her underarms since she was fourteen years old.
- grow
allow hair to grow longer rather than removing it
文法句型
shave + body part
shave (no object)
shave off + hair
用法筆記
Can be used intransitively ('I shave every morning') or transitively with a body part as object ('She shaved her legs'). The phrasal verb 'shave off' emphasizes complete removal.
常見錯誤
2. to pass extremely close to a surface, barely touching it — used when a moving ob
to pass extremely close to a surface, barely touching it — used when a moving object such as a vehicle or ball makes very light contact with something as it goes by
Jenna's car door shaved the wall of the narrow parking garage as she pulled in.
collocation: shave + surface (barely touching)
Asher watched the tennis ball shave the top of the net and land in bounds.
collocation: shave the net (in tennis)
A bullet shaved the edge of Tariro's jacket as he ran for cover.
Beatrix felt the branch shave her shoulder as she walked through the dense bushes.
A low-hanging cable shaved the roof of Hoa's delivery truck on the narrow street.
- hit
make forceful contact rather than light touch
- crash into
collide with force
文法句型
shave + surface/object
用法筆記
Often describes a ball, vehicle, or other moving object barely making contact. Common in sports commentary and descriptions of near-miss driving scenarios. The contact is always light — a crash or hard impact would not be described with 'shave'.
常見錯誤
3. in sports, to purposely limit one's scoring during a game as part of an illegal
in sports, to purposely limit one's scoring during a game as part of an illegal deal with gamblers, so the final margin helps them win unfair bets
Selim was caught shaving points in a college basketball game by the sports investigators.
collocation: shave points
The police found that Tamás and Asher had agreed to shave points for money.
Takeshi, the team's star forward, was banned for life after admitting he shaved points.
Point shaving is a serious crime that can lead to years in prison.
Rachid was questioned by the league about whether his coach knew players were shaving points.
- throw a game
deliberately lose a match, broader than just point-shaving
- fix a match
arrange the outcome of a game illegally
- play fairly
compete honestly without cheating
文法句型
shave + points
用法筆記
Almost always involves gambling corruption. The fixed noun phrase 'point shaving' is also very common in news reports about sports scandals. This sense is specific to US-style sports betting scandals and may not be familiar to all English learners.