Idioms

shave off

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shave off

1. To shear something away from some surface, with or as with some kind of straight or mechanical blade. A noun or pronoun can be used between "shave" and "off." I've decided to shave off my mustache. He shaved a slice of cheese off and handed it to the child.
2. To reduce, remove, or eliminate some amount of something, especially a very small amount. A noun or pronoun can be used between "shave" and "off." I was pretty discouraged that, after spending all that time and energy training, I was only able to shave a couple seconds off my race time. Giving up milk and sugar in your coffee is a quick and easy way to shave off some calories from your diet.
See also: off, shave
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

shave off

v.
1. To cut something, especially hair, from the surface of the skin with a razor or shaver: I shaved my beard off. I shaved off the stubble.
2. To remove or eliminate something in thin strips or small amounts using a blade: The woodworker used a planer to shave off the bark. I opened the coconut and shaved some of the meat off with a knife.
3. To eliminate some small amount of a total: This aerodynamic racing suit will shave off a full second from your time. She shaved ten seconds off the school's 100-meter dash record.
4. To limit deliberately the number of points scored by one's own team in an athletic contest, as in return for a payment from gamblers to ensure winnings: The rest of the team was sure that he was missing shots on purpose in order to shave points off for his gambling buddies. The police are investigating her for shaving off points in the championship game.
See also: off, shave
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive
Samajwadi Party has alleged that doctors of BMC hospitals ask Muslim patients to shave off their beards before surgery.
Samajwadi leader demands ban on shaving off beard of Muslim patients
Andrew had the idea of having his own mini shave-off to launch Movember in the town and has already raised more than PS1,750 on his Just Giving Big Shave Off page (https://www.justgiving.com/Andrew-"The Movember awards was one of the best events of last year," said Poppy Stahelin, marketing assistant at Stafflex, main sponsors of the event.
Flying start to Movember
Police said the retired soldier was returning home on his motorbike on Monday night when the criminals who came his way again asked him to shave off his long moustache.
India: Outlaws chop off retired trooper's ear over moustache
The 62-year-old made the decision to shave off all her hair in aid of charity after her older sister and niece both died of lung cancer.
Short, back and all off; Dorothy, 62, has her head shaved for a very worthy cause
What you don't want is stubble, which will happen if you shave off the wispy hair.
To shave or not to shave
JonaThan Ross's new bosses at ITV have asked him to shave off his beard before he starts his chat show in the autumn.
Ross told to cut fuzz
Studley donated sweat equity as well as $20,500 to the charity, $10,500 of which was raised by Studley executives who challenged Rob Link, executive vice president and branch manager of Studley's Denver office, to shave off his iconic salt and pepper mustache.
A close shave for Link as Studley raises $20,500 for charity
In today's competitive marketplace, companies are seeking ways to shave off costs in every aspect of the production process.
Casting process modeling software for windows opens door for diecasters
The boys did not carry any cash and the three teenagers used a razor to shave off the eyebrows of two children, the police said.
3 Kawasaki teenagers detained for shaving off kids' eyebrows
Ask for no butter and you'll shave off its two grams of saturated fat.
QUEEN OF THE COURT
Instead, Conair built a system that uses four air-driven blades to shave off the bridge without the need for expensive milling equipment.
'Piggy-back' robot handles two-color parts
To fix the problem, surgeons use lasers--precise enough to cut a human hair lengthwise--to shave off the protruding central portion of the cornea, flattening the front of the eyeball slightly and correcting the excessive refraction.
Farsighted surgery reaches trial stage
Few days after a Muslim man was forced to shave off his beard following an altercation in Gurugram, Owaisi had threatened the accused that he would be "converted to Islam".
Petition filed against Owaisi over 'communal statements'
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