Shave
/ʃeɪv/noun
To cut or remove hair close to the skin, or to remove a thin layer from a surface.
Did you know?Shave is tied to an old Germanic root meaning “to scrape or cut off,” showing how everyday grooming words often began as blunt physical actions rather than beauty rituals.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skei-
“to cut, split, or separate”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skabaną
“to scrape, shave, or cut off”
Old English
English
sceafan
“to scrape, shave, or pare away”
Middle English
English
shaven
“to shave or scrape”
Modern English
English
shave
“to cut or remove hair close to the skin”