shaven
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /ʃˈeɪvən/
US
- /ˈʃeɪvən/
Description
- hair removed
- smooth-skinned
- clean-shaven
- closely trimmed
To be shaven means to have had the hair removed with a razor or a similar tool, so the skin looks smooth. It is most often used for a face, head, or another part of the body after grooming. You might picture a man arriving clean-shaven for an important meeting, or someone with a freshly shaven head after a haircut. The word often suggests neatness and care, but in some stories it can also suggest exposure, loss, or a change forced on someone.
The word "shaven" describes someone or something after the hair has been removed, usually with a razor. It points to the result of that action: smooth skin and a recently groomed look. A shaven chin, for example, does not simply mean there is no beard; it suggests that the beard was there and was deliberately taken off. Because of that, the word often carries ideas of freshness, order, and careful appearance.
In everyday English, "shaven" is most common in phrases such as "clean-shaven" or "freshly shaven." It is often used for the face or head, but it can also describe legs, arms, or other body parts. The tone is usually neutral and descriptive, though context can add more feeling. Someone who is clean-shaven may seem formal, tidy, or ready for work. In a different setting, a person whose head has been shaven may seem exposed, humbled, or changed. For that reason, the word can work both in ordinary grooming talk and in serious historical or literary writing, where it may suggest control, punishment, loss of identity, or the start of a new phase.
Examples
- 1
Workplace appearance
He usually keeps his face clean-shaven for work.
Meaning
clean-shaven
with no beard or moustache
- 2
Film role
For the movie, her head was completely shaven.
- 3
Skin irritation
His neck was still red from being closely shaven that morning.
- 4
Medical preparation
The area around the wound had to be shaven before the operation.
Forms and spellings
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Main spelling
- shavenverbadjective