noun
Uncommon
shaving
SHAY-vihng
Shaving (noun) means a thin strip or curl of material removed by cutting or shaving. Example: “Wood shavings covered the workshop floor.”
noun
1
A thin strip or curl of material removed by cutting or shaving.
"Wood shavings covered the workshop floor."
"Curly shavings of chocolate decorated the top of the cake."
"The carpenter swept up the pile of shavings after planing the door."
2
The act of removing hair close to the skin.
"He keeps a razor and shaving cream in his bag."
"Shaving every morning gives him sore skin, so he now does it every other day."
"My dad taught me shaving when I was sixteen."
How to use shaving
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the thin curls of material cut away from wood or metal, or the act of shaving hair.
Common pairings
wood shavings
shaving cream
shaving foam
shaving razor
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Word forms
- Plural
- shavings
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Can you complete this real example?
Wood _____ covered the workshop floor.
Related words
Rhymes for shaving
See all rhymes for shaving →Frequently asked questions
What does “shaving” mean?
The word “shaving” means a thin strip or curl of material removed by cutting or shaving. In plain terms, either the thin curls of material cut away from wood or metal, or the act of shaving hair.
How do you pronounce “shaving”?
“Shaving” is pronounced SHAY-vihng (/ˈʃeɪvɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “shaving” in a sentence?
Here is “shaving” used in a sentence: “Wood shavings covered the workshop floor.”
What part of speech is “shaving”?
“Shaving” is a noun.
Is “shaving” a common word?
“Shaving” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “shaving” have?
“Shaving” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thin strip or curl of material removed by cutting or shaving.
What is the difference between "shaving" the activity and "a shaving" as an object?
"Shaving" as an activity refers to removing hair close to the skin, usually with a razor. "A shaving" (often used as "shavings") instead refers to a thin strip or curl of material, such as wood or metal, removed by a cutting tool. Context usually makes clear which sense is meant.
Is "wood shavings" the same as "sawdust"?
Not exactly. Wood shavings are thin curls or strips of wood removed by a blade or plane, while sawdust is made up of much finer, powdery particles produced by sawing. Shavings are generally larger and more continuous in shape than sawdust.
What words commonly follow "shaving" in everyday phrases?
In the hair-removal sense, "shaving" commonly appears with "cream," "foam," "razor," and "brush." In the material sense, it pairs with words like "wood," "metal," or "curl" to describe the strips removed by cutting.
