beaver

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈbiːvər/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈbivɚ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(bēvər)

Inflections of 'beaver' (n):
beavers
npl (All usages)
beaver
npl (Can be used as a collective plural for the animals—e.g. "There used to be far more beaver in this area than there are now.")

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
bea•ver1 /ˈbivɚ/USA pronunciation   n., pl. -vers, (esp. when thought of as a group) -ver for 1.
  1. Mammals[countable] a large rodent that lives in water, having webbed hind feet and a large flat tail.
  2. Clothing the fur of this animal:[uncountable]crazy enough to wear a beaver coat to the animal rights convention.
  3. Informal TermsInformal. an active, hard-working person:She was an eager beaver, working late every night.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
bea•ver1  (bēvər),USA pronunciation n., pl. -vers, (esp. collectively) -ver for 1;
v. 

n. 
  1. Mammalsa large, amphibious rodent of the genus Castor, having sharp incisors, webbed hind feet, and a flattened tail, noted for its ability to dam streams with trees, branches, etc.
  2. Clothingthe fur of this animal.
  3. Clothinga flat, round hat made of beaver fur or a similar fabric.
  4. Clothinga tall, cylindrical hat for men, formerly made of beaver and now of a fabric simulating this fur. Cf. opera hat, silk hat, top hat.
  5. Informal Termsa full beard or a man wearing one.
  6. Informal Termsan exceptionally active or hard-working person.
  7. Slang Terms(vulgar).
    • a woman's pubic area.
    • [Offensive.]a woman.
  8. Textiles
    • a cotton cloth with a thick nap, used chiefly in the manufacture of work clothes.
    • (formerly) a heavy, soft, woolen cloth with a thick nap, made to resemble beaver fur.
  9. (cap.) a native or inhabitant of Oregon, the Beaver State (used as a nickname).

v.i. 
  1. British Termsto work very hard or industriously at something (usually fol. by away).
  • bef. 1000; Middle English bever, Old English beofor, befor; cognate with German Biber, Lithuanian bebrùs, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrús reddish brown, large ichneumon
beaver•like′, beaver•ish, adj. 

bea•ver2  (bēvər),USA pronunciation n. [Armor.]
  1. Heraldrya piece of plate armor for covering the lower part of the face and throat, worn esp. with an open helmet, as a sallet or basinet. Cf. buffe, wrapper (def. 7).
  2. Heraldrya piece of plate armor, pivoted at the sides, forming part of a close helmet below the visor or ventail. See diag. under close helmet. 
  • Latin -āria, feminine of -ārius -ary; alteration of vowel in the initial syllable is unexplained
  • Middle French baviere (Old French: bib), equivalent. to bave spit, dribble + -iere
  • late Middle English bavier, bavour 1400–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
beaver / ˈbiːvə/
  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. a tall hat of beaver fur or a fabric resembling it, worn, esp by men, during the 19th century
  4. a woollen napped cloth resembling beaver fur, formerly much used for overcoats, etc
  5. a full beard
  6. a bearded man
  7. (modifier) having the colour of beaver or made of beaver fur or some similar material
  1. (intransitive) usually followed by away: to work industriously or steadily
Etymology: Old English beofor; compare Old Norse biōrr, Old High German bibar, Latin fiber, Sanskrit babhrú red-brown
beaver / ˈbiːvə/
  1. a movable piece on a medieval helmet used to protect the lower part of the face
Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French baviere, from baver to dribble
beaver / ˈbiːvə/
  1. the female genitals
  2. a woman considered sexually
Etymology: 20th Century: origin unknown
'beaver' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: a beaver [dam, hut], a [hat, coat] made of beaver fur, a beaver's [tail, dam, hut, teeth], more...

Forum discussions with the word(s) "beaver" in the title:


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