What does shaver mean?
A shaver is usually an electric razor, a device designed to cut hair closely at the skin. The word can also refer to someone whose work or task is shaving, as with a barber who uses a straight razor. In contemporary English, however, the instrument sense dominates, especially in the common expressions 'electric shaver' and 'cordless shaver.' Shavers are used for facial hair, the head, and the body, and some models are designed for wet or dry use. Although 'shaver' sounds like a simple everyday word, its older meaning as a person who shaves gives it a slightly traditional or occupational tone. The term is distinct from 'shave,' which names the action rather than the implement or the person performing it.
nounA shaver is a device, especially an electric razor, used for cutting hair close to the skin. It can also mean a person who shaves hair or performs shaving as an occupation.
- An electric or other powered device used for shaving hair.
- A person who shaves, especially a barber or shaving worker.
"He switched to a cordless shaver before travelling."
"The battery in his electric shaver had run out."
"The barber was a skilled shaver with a straight razor."
The plural is used for multiple devices or for people whose occupation or task is shaving.
"The shop sells replacement heads for several popular shavers."
The word 'shaver' hides its main idea in plain sight: it is a tool for shaving, and sometimes the person doing the shaving.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shaver come from?
The word is an English derivation of 'shave' with the suffix '-er,' a formation that can indicate either an instrument or a person who performs an action. 'Shave' comes from Old English 'sceafa,' meaning a shaving tool, and was later extended to the act of removing hair with a razor. The occupational sense of 'shaver' is consequently older in general development than the now-dominant sense of a powered shaving device.
How shaver is actually used
In modern use, 'shaver' most often means an electric razor. The sense 'a person who shaves' is older and is now less common.
Easily confused with shaver
A shave is the act of removing hair with a razor or other implement, whereas a shaver is the device used to do it or a person who performs the shaving.