noun

beaver

BEE-vuh

noun

A large semi-aquatic rodent known for gnawing down trees and building dams with the wood.

"A family of beavers had dammed the stream, flooding part of the meadow."

verb

To work hard and steadily at a task (usually "beaver away").

"She's been beavering away on her thesis all weekend."

How to Use Beaver

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the dam-building animal, or (as a verb) working hard and busily at something.

Memory tip

"Beaver away at" is a common British idiom for working diligently, especially on a long or tedious task.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

beaver away at busy as a beaver a beaver dam

Word Forms

beavered past tense, Beavers plural, Beavers plural, beavers singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “beaver” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

A family of _____ had dammed the stream, flooding part of the meadow.

Etymology

From Old English befer, going back to a very old Germanic and Indo-European root for the animal, related to words like Dutch bever and German Biber. The verb sense ("beaver away") comes from the animal's reputation for tireless, industrious work.

Rhymes for beaver

aver waver saver weaver shaver slaver braver Seaver cadaver cleaver lifesaver

See all rhymes for beaver →