graze

graze
{{11}}graze (v.1) "to feed," O.E. grasian "to feed on grass," from græs "grass" (see GRASS (Cf. grass)). Cf. M.Du., M.H.G. grasen, Du. grazen, Ger. grasen. Figurative use by 1570s. Related: Grazed; grazing.
{{12}}graze (v.2) "to touch," c.1600, perhaps a transferred sense from GRAZE (Cf. graze) (1) via a notion of cropping grass right down to the ground (Cf. Ger. grasen "to feed on grass," used in military sense in reference to cannonballs that rebound off the ground). Related: Grazed; grazing. As a noun from 1690s.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Graze — Graze, v. i. 1. To eat grass; to feed on growing herbage; as, cattle graze on the meadows. [1913 Webster] 2. To yield grass for grazing. [1913 Webster] The ground continueth the wet, whereby it will never graze to purpose. Bacon. [1913 Webster] 3 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Graze — (gr[=a]z), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Grazed} (gr[=a]zd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Grazing}.] [OE. grasen, AS. grasian, fr. gr[ae]s grass. See {Grass}.] 1. To feed or supply (cattle, sheep, etc.) with grass; to furnish pasture for. [1913 Webster] A field or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Graze — Graze, n. 1. The act of grazing; the cropping of grass. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] Turning him out for a graze on the common. T. Hughes. [1913 Webster] 2. A light touch; a slight scratch. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • graze — Ⅰ. graze [1] ► VERB 1) (of cattle, sheep, etc.) eat grass in a field. 2) informal eat frequent snacks at irregular intervals. DERIVATIVES grazer noun. ORIGIN Old English, related to GRASS(Cf. ↑ …   English terms dictionary

  • graze — vb pasture, *feed, nourish graze vb *brush, glance, shave, skim Analogous words: touch, contact (see corresponding nouns at CONTACT): injure, hurt, harm: *deface, disfigure: wound, bruise, contuse (see corresponding nouns at WOUND) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • graze — graze·able; graze; …   English syllables

  • graze — [v1] touch abrade, brush, carom, chafe, glance off, kiss*, ricochet, rub, scrape, scratch, shave*, skim, skip; concept 612 Ant. manhandle graze [v2] feed on bite, browse, champ, crop, crunch, eat, forage, gnaw, masticate, munch, nibble, pasture,… …   New thesaurus

  • graze — index contact (touch) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • grąžė — sf. žr. grąža 3: Ar sodinsime bulves grąžėse? Nj …   Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language

  • graze — graze1 [grāz] vt. grazed, grazing [ME grasen < OE grasian < base of græs, gærs, GRASS] 1. to feed on (growing grass, herbage, a pasture, etc.) 2. to put livestock to feed on (growing grass, herbage, etc.) 3. to tend (feeding livestock) …   English World dictionary

  • graze — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun ADJECTIVE ▪ minor, slight, small VERB + GRAZE ▪ have, suffer ▪ She suffered only minor grazes in the crash …   Collocations dictionary

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