graze Hear it!

graze¹ Definition

graze (grāz)

transitive verb grazed, graz·ing

  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)
  4. to feed on the pasturage of (land)

Etymology: ME grasen < OE grasian < base of græs, gærs, grass

intransitive verb

  1. to feed on growing grass, etc.
  2. Informal
    1. to snack all day instead of eating regular meals
    2. to eat small portions of different foods, as appetizers or samples of entrees

graze¹ Related Forms

grazer noun

graze² Definition

graze (grāz)

transitive verb grazed, graz·ing

  1. to touch or rub lightly in passing
  2. to scrape or scratch in passing a bullet grazed his thigh

Etymology: prob. < graze in sense “to come close to the grass”

intransitive verb

to scrape, touch, or rub lightly against something in passing

noun

  1. the act of grazing
  2. a slight scratch or scrape caused by grazing

graze Synonyms

graze

v.

  1. To touch or score lightly

    brush, scrape, rub; see touch 1, 2.

  2. To pasture

    browse, feed, batten, crop, gnaw, nibble, bite, uproot, pull grass, forage, eat, champ, munch, crunch, masticate, ruminate.

graze Usage Examples

Object

  • sward: Green-winged orchid - this common orchid is evident where rabbits have grazed the sward.
  • saltmarshes: In recent decades, some grazed saltmarshes have been abandoned, leading to domination of the mid to upper marsh by rank grasses.
  • pasture: Problem: Creeping thistle in almost permanently grazed sheep pasture.
  • grassland: A special case of grazed grassland is the lawn.
  • paddock: So far nearly half of the four grazed paddocks have been done.
  • meadow: The margins of the lagoons vary from grazed meadow to rank vegetation.

Preposition: on

  • pasture: Young lambs should not, if possible, be grazed on the same pasture as the previous year's lamb, crop.
  • grass: Pairs of upland geese graze casually on the grass along the seafront.

Adjective modifier

nasty: It is easy to have an accident on slippery rocks, and barnacles can raise a nasty graze.

Modifies a noun

burst: Shell illuminating with a fuze setting for a graze burst may also be used to mark targets.

Noun used with modifier

  • sheep: Let your sheep eat the grass of the riverbank, let your sheep graze on my stubble.
  • cattle: The gentle undulating ' Weald ' is dotted with hop fields and fat cattle graze in lush green meadows.
  • pony: Cattle, sheep, horses and ponies graze in the fields.
  • cow: In the summer the cows graze on the higher ground above the farm.
  • deer: See the deer graze in Tatton Park and catch world-class theater at Manchester's Lowry Center.

Preposition: in

  • meadow: There was once a Horse who used to graze in a meadow which he had all to himself.
  • pasture: In essence, we always want to graze in the greener pastures.

Preposition: by

  • sheep: All the islands except Dun are grazed by feral sheep.
  • cattle: Most were cut for hay in early summer, then grazed by cattle into the winter.
  • livestock: The hills are grazed by livestock in which MAP is endemic.

Browse dictionary entries near graze

  1. Graz
  2. grayware
  3. graywacke
  4. grayscale
  5. graymail
  6. grayling
  7. graylag
  8. grayish
  9. grayfish
  10. graybeard
  1. grazier
  2. grazing
  3. grazioso
  4. GRE
  5. grease
  6. grease cup
  7. grease job
  8. grease monkey
  9. grease pencil
  10. greaseball