From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishshaveshave1 /ʃeɪv/ ●●● S3 verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]DCBCUT to cut off hair very close to the skin, especially from the face, using a razor He hadn’t shaved for days. Brian had cut himself shaving.shave your head/legs/armpits etc She shaved her legs and underarms.2 [transitive] to remove very thin pieces from the surface of something Shave thin strips of cheese over the pasta. → shave something ↔ off→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
shave• It is especially important that no breaks in the skin occur during shaving as these act as routes for bacteria to enter.• Garnish with basil sprigs and shaved cheese.• He wore his best suit, a clean silk shirt and shaved extra close.• Polly had shaved her legs, and recently, too.• He was filthy and hadn't shaved in over a week.• If it normally takes you a quarter of an hour to shave, make it take you half an hour.• I didn't have time to shave my legs.• I could neither wash nor shave, nor was there anything in the house to eat.• I wish he'd shave off that awful beard!• Shave some fresh Parmesan cheese over the salad before serving.• Have you shaved today?• You can shave truffles on these eggs or spoon caviar on them.cut ... shaving• Then came Brian, who had cut himself shaving, and was dabbing the blood on his chin.• Had Maisie Gammond cut herself shaving too, he wondered?shaveshave2 noun [countable usually singular] 1 DCBCUTif a man has a shave, he cuts off the hair on his face close to his skin using a razor He looked as if he needed a shave.have a shave British English I’ll just have a shave before we go.2 → a close shaveExamples from the Corpus
shave• After a shave, he felt fresh, newly born.• First day home he would get a haircut and a shave.• He badly needed a shower and a shave.• He had no intention of drinking the stuff, but it might do for a shave.• At least he'd had a shave.• I went down to the washroom to get a drink of water, and to have a shave.• He seemed pale and in need of a closer shave.• His long hair stopped neatly at the level where it curved most attractively, but his shave was indifferent.• He went upstairs and had a quick shave.have a shave• The old Polly, the young Polly, would on principle never have shaved her legs.• But he's been told he should have shaved if he'd wanted the job.• I went down to the washroom to get a drink of water, and to have a shave.• Now that the bucket was free, I got some water boiled and began to have a shave.• At half past seven I put some water on to have a shave.Origin shave1 Old English scafan 