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Definition of 'beaver'

Word Frequency

beaver

(biːvəʳ )
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense beavers , present participle beavering , past tense, past participle beavered
1. countable noun
A beaver is a furry animal with a big flat tail and large teeth. Beavers use their teeth to cut wood and build dams in rivers.
2. uncountable noun
Beaver is the fur of a beaver.
...a coat with a huge beaver collar.
Phrasal verbs:
beaver away
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Image of 'beaver'

picture of beaver
© Christian Musat, shutterstock
Word Frequency

beaver in British 1

(ˈbiːvə )
noun
1. 
a large amphibious rodent, Castor fiber, of Europe, Asia, and North America: family Castoridae. It has soft brown fur, a broad flat hairless tail, and webbed hind feet, and constructs complex dams and houses (lodges) in rivers
2. 
the fur of this animal
3.  mountain beaver
4. 
a tall hat of beaver fur or a fabric resembling it, worn, esp by men, during the 19th century
5. 
a woollen napped cloth resembling beaver fur, formerly much used for overcoats, etc
6. 
a greyish- or yellowish-brown colour
7. obsolete
a full beard
8. 
a bearded man
9. (modifier)
having the colour of beaver or made of beaver fur or some similar material
a beaver lamb coat
a beaver stole
verb
10. (intransitive; usually foll by away)
to work industriously or steadily
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin of 'beaver'
Old English beofor; compare Old Norse biōrr, Old High German bibar, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrú red-brown
Word Frequency

beaver in British 2

(ˈbiːvə )
noun
a movable piece on a medieval helmet used to protect the lower part of the face
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin of 'beaver'
C15: from Old French baviere, from baver to dribble
Word Frequency

Beaver in British

(ˈbiːvə )
noun
a member of a Beaver Colony, the youngest group of boys (aged 6–8 years) in the Scout Association
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

beaver in American 1

(ˈbivər ; bēˈvər)
noun
1. 
a. Word forms: plural ˈbeavers or ˈbeaver
any of a family (Castoridae) of large rodents with soft, brown fur, chisel-like teeth, webbed hind feet, and a flat, broad tail: they often gnaw trees down and build canals and dams to form beaver ponds in which they build dry, dome-shaped, island lodges having underwater entrances
b. 
its fur
2. 
a man's high silk hat, originally made of this fur
3. 
a heavy cloth of felted wool, used for overcoats, etc.
4.  US, Slang
the female genitals
often considered vulgar
adjective
5.  US, Slang
designating or of a film, photograph, etc. in which the female genitals are exposed
often considered vulgar
verb intransitive
6.  US
to work hard, constantly, conscientiously, etc.
usually with away
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin of 'beaver'
ME bever < OE beofor: for IE base see bear2
Word Frequency

beaver in American 2

(ˈbivər ; bēˈvər)
noun
1. 
a movable piece of armor on the lower part of a medieval helmet, for protecting the mouth and chin
2. 
later, the visor of a helmet
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin of 'beaver'
ME bavier < OFr baviere, beaver of a helmet, orig., bib < baver, to drivel < bave, saliva, foam

Word Lists

Habitations, fauna, hat, rodent

Trends of 'beaver'

Used Occasionally. beaver is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Translations for 'beaver'

British English: beaver /ˈbiːvə/ NOUN
A beaver is a furry animal like a large rat with a big flat tail.
  • American English: beaver
  • Arabic: قُنْدُس
  • Brazilian Portuguese: castor
  • Chinese: 海狸
  • Croatian: dabar
  • Czech: bobr
  • Danish: bæver
  • Dutch: bever
  • European Spanish: castor
  • Finnish: majava
  • French: castor
  • German: Biber
  • Greek: κάστορας
  • Italian: castoro
  • Japanese: ビーバー
  • Korean: 비버
  • Norwegian: bever
  • Polish: bóbr
  • European Portuguese: castor
  • Romanian: castor
  • Russian: бобр
  • Spanish: castor
  • Swedish: bäver
  • Thai: สัตว์ครึ่งบกครึ่งน้ำคล้ายนาก
  • Turkish: kunduz
  • Ukrainian: бобер
  • Vietnamese: con hải ly

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Nearby words of 'beaver'

  • beaux gestes
  • beaux idéals
  • beaux-arts
  • beaver
  • beaver away
  • beaver fever
  • Beaver State

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'B'

Related Terms of 'beaver'

  • beaver away
  • Beaver Tail
  • beaver fever
  • Beaver State
  • eager beaver

  • View more related words

Source

Definition of beaver from the Collins English Dictionary

The non-finite parts of the verb

Non-finite parts of a verb are those that do not indicate number, person or tense. The common non-finite forms are: the base form the present participle or -ing form the past participle the to in...
Read more about 'The non-finite parts of the verb'
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Scrabble score for 'beaver': 11
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