shave
UK[ʃeɪv]US[ʃeɪv]
v
To cut hair off the face, body, or head, especially using a razor or shaver.
v
To cut a thin layer from the surface of something, such as wood.
n
An act of shaving hair from the face or body.
Etymology
The word 'shave' originates from the Old English verb 'sceafan', meaning 'to scrape, pare away'. This term descends from the Proto-Germanic root skabaną, which carried the core sense of 'to scratch, scrape, shave'. This root is further traced back to the Proto-Indo-European (s)kep-, meaning 'to cut, scrape, hack', a base that also gave rise to words like 'scab' and 'shaft'. Over centuries, the meaning narrowed from the general act of scraping to the specific modern action of cutting hair close to the skin or paring a thin layer from a material, retaining the fundamental concept of removing a surface layer by a sharp edge.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form derived from Old English 'sceafan' (to scrape, shave). It is a strong verb of Germanic origin, related to the Proto-Germanic root skabaną.
Examples
He needs to shave his beard before the interview.
The carpenter shaved a few millimeters off the door to make it fit.
A close shave with an electric razor is quick and comfortable.