1.to remove hair from the body, especially a man's face, by cutting it close to the skin with a razor, so that the skin feels smooth
John has to shave twice a day.
I always shave my legs in the shower.
2.If an object, especially a ball, shaves something, it just touches its surface when it passes it
With the goalkeeper beaten, the ball shaved the crossbar.
3.in sport, to intentionally score fewer points than possible in order to dishonestly or illegally affect the margin of victory in a game
He claimed he never shaved points or asked other athletes to do so.
4.the act of shaving, especially a man's face
He had been up all night and needed a shave.
He washed and had a shave.
5.to remove hair from the face or body by cutting it close to the skin with a razor (= a device with a blade)
He shaved his face.
He carefully shaved around the cut on his cheek.
6.If you shave an amount off or from an object or surface, you cut a thin layer from it
She shaved about an eighth of an inch off the door, and now it closes.
1.to reduce something by the stated amount
The new high speed trains will shave 25 minutes off the journey time.
Our prices have been shaved by five percent!
1.to cut a very thin piece from an object or surface
She shaved a few millimetres off the bottom of the door, so that it would open more easily.
The meat is shaved from the spit with a machine, rather than with a knife.