4 VERB If you shave off part of a piece of wood or other material, you cut very thin pieces from it. □ [V n with off ] I set the log on the ground and shaved off the bark. □ [V n + off ] She was shaving thin slices off a courgette.
5 VERB If you shave a small amount off something such as a record, cost, or price, you reduce it by that amount. □ [V n + off/from ] She's already shaved four seconds off the national record for the mile. □ [V n] Supermarket chains have shaved prices.
6 → see also shaving
7 PHRASE If you describe a situation as a close shave , you mean that there was nearly an accident or a disaster but it was avoided. □ I can't quite believe the close shaves I've had just recently. USAGE shave
Shave
is not usually a reflexive verb. Don’t say ‘
shav|en /ʃe I v ə n/
1 ADJ If a part of someone's body is shaven , it has been shaved. □ …a small boy with a shaven head.
2 → see also clean-shaven
shav|er /ʃe I və r / (shavers ) N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] A shaver is an electric device, used for shaving hair from the face and body. □ …men's electric shavers.
shav|ing /ʃe I v I ŋ/ (shavings )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Shavings are small very thin pieces of wood or other material which have been cut from a larger piece. □ The floor was covered with shavings from his wood carvings. □ …metal shavings.
2 → see also shave
sha v|ing cream (shaving creams ) also shaving foam N‑VAR Shaving cream is a soft soapy substance which men put on their face before they shave. □ …a tube of shaving cream.
shawl /ʃɔː l/ (shawls ) N‑COUNT A shawl is a large piece of woollen cloth which a woman wears over her shoulders or head, or which is wrapped around a baby to keep it warm.
she ◆◆◆ /ʃi, STRONG ʃiː/ She is a third person singular pronoun. She is used as the subject of a verb. 1 PRON You use she to refer to a woman, girl, or female animal who has already been mentioned or whose identity is clear. □ When Ann arrived home that night, she found Brian in the house watching TV. □ She was seventeen and she had no education or employment.
2 PRON Some writers may use she to refer to a person who is not identified as either male or female. They do this because they wish to avoid using the pronoun 'he' all the time. Some people dislike this use and prefer to use 'he or she' or 'they'. □ The student may show signs of feeling the strain of responsibility and she may give up.
3 PRON She is sometimes used to refer to a country or nation. □ Our country needs new leadership if she is to help shape the future of the world.
4 PRON Some people use she to refer to a car or a machine. People who sail often use she to refer to a ship or boat. □ Hundreds of small boats clustered round the yacht as she sailed into Southampton docks.
s/he PRON Some writers use s/he instead of either 'he' or 'she' when they are referring to someone who might exist but who has not been identified. By using s/he , the writer does not need to say whether the person is male or female. □ Talk to your doctor and see if s/he knows of any local groups.
sheaf /ʃiː f/ (sheaves )
1 N‑COUNT A sheaf of papers is a number of them held or fastened together. □ [+ of ] He took out a sheaf of papers and leafed through them.
2 N‑COUNT A sheaf of corn or wheat is a number of corn or wheat plants that have been cut down and tied together.
shear /ʃ I ə r / (shears , shearing , sheared , shorn )
1 VERB To shear a sheep means to cut its wool off. □ [V n] In the Hebrides they shear their sheep later than anywhere else. ● shear|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ …a display of sheep shearing.
2 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] A pair of shears is a garden tool like a very large pair of scissors. Shears are used especially for cutting hedges. □ Trim the shrubs with shears.
sheath /ʃiː θ/ (sheaths )
1 N‑COUNT A sheath is a covering for the blade of a knife.
2 N‑COUNT A sheath is a rubber covering for a man's penis and is used during sex as a contraceptive or as a protection against disease. [BRIT ]
sheathe /ʃiː ð/ (sheathes , sheathing , sheathed )
1 VERB [usu passive] If something is sheathed in a material or other covering, it is closely covered with it. [LITERARY ] □ [be V -ed + in ] The television was sheathed in a snug coverlet. □ [V -ed] …her long legs, sheathed in sheer black tights.
2 VERB When someone sheathes a knife, they put it in its sheath. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] He sheathed the knife and strapped it to his shin.
sheaves /ʃiː vz/ Sheaves is the plural of sheaf .
she|bang /ʃ I bæ ŋ/ PHRASE The whole shebang is the whole situation or business that you are describing. [INFORMAL ]
shed ◆◇◇ /ʃe d/ (sheds , shedding ) The form shed is used in the present tense and in the past tense and past participle of the verb. 1 N‑COUNT A shed is a small building that is used for storing things such as garden tools. □ …a garden shed.
2 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A shed is a large shelter or building, for example at a railway station, port, or factory. □ …disused railway sheds.