noun
razor
RAY-zuh
noun
1
A sharp-bladed tool used for shaving hair from the skin.
"He nicked his chin with the razor while shaving in a hurry."
"She packed a spare razor for the holiday."
2
A principle used to cut away unlikely or unnecessary explanations when reasoning through a problem.
"Occam's razor suggests the simplest explanation is usually the right one."
verb
1
To shave something with a razor.
"He razored off his beard before the interview."
How to Use Razor
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA blade for shaving, or, figuratively, a rule for cutting down to the simplest explanation.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
razor blade
Occam's razor
razor-sharp
Word Forms
razored past tense, razors plural, Razors plural, razors singular
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He nicked his chin with the _____ while shaving in a hurry.
Etymology
From Old French rasour, from raser ("to scrape, to shave") — the same root as "raze."