graze
/ɡreɪz/ IELTSAcademic
verb
- 1.
To let animals eat grass in a field or other open place. It can also mean to feed on grass.
- The farmer grazes sheep on the hillside.
- Cows graze in the meadow all day.
- We watched deer graze near the lake.
- 2.
To touch or scrape something lightly, often causing a small mark or injury.
- He grazed his knee on the pavement.
- The car grazed the wall.
- Her sleeve grazed the candle flame.
Adinary Nuance
Graze is often confused with feed, eat, and brush. Use graze for animals eating grass, and feed when a person gives food to animals. For a light touch, graze is stronger than brush because it can suggest a small scrape or injury.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- gặm cỏ
- Spanish
- pacer
- Chinese
- 吃草
- Japanese
- 草を食べる
- Korean
- 풀을 뜯다
Etymology
Graze came into English from Old English grǣsian, from græs, meaning 'grass,' around the 14th century. The animal sense is the older meaning; the 'lightly touch' sense developed later from the idea of brushing past.
Common phrases
graze on grassgraze livestockgraze a kneegraze the surface
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between graze and feed?
- Graze means animals eat grass or another low plant. Feed means a person gives food to animals.
- Can graze mean a small injury?
- Yes. It can mean to lightly scrape the skin and leave a small mark.
- Is graze a formal word?
- No. It is a common word in speaking and writing.
- How do I use graze in a sentence?
- You can say, 'The sheep graze in the field,' or 'He grazed his elbow.'