- to allow (animals) to consume the vegetation on (an area of land), or (of animals, esp cows and sheep) to feed thus
- (transitive) to tend (livestock) while at pasture
- informal to eat snacks throughout the day rather than formal meals
- US to pilfer and eat sweets, fruit, etc, from supermarket shelves while shopping
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
graze1 /greɪz/USA pronunciation
v., grazed, graz•ing.
graze2 /greɪz/USA pronunciation v., grazed, graz•ing, n.
v.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Agricultureto feed on growing grass or other plant life, as cattle, sheep, etc., do: [~ + on]grazing on the grass in the field.[~ + object]The deer had grazed the area so thoroughly that there was nothing left.
- Informal Terms[no object]
- , to eat small portions of food in place of regular meals.
- to sample small portions of a variety of foods at one meal.
graze2 /greɪz/USA pronunciation v., grazed, graz•ing, n.
v.
- to touch or rub lightly in passing: [~ + object]His knee grazed the chair.[no object]His knee grazed against the rough wall.
- to scrape the skin from:[~ + object]The bullet just grazed his shoulder.
n. [countable]
- a touching or rubbing lightly in passing.
- a slight scratch;
abrasion.
graze1
(grāz),USA pronunciation v., grazed, graz•ing.
v.i.
v.t.
graze′a•ble, adj.
graz′er, n.
graze2 (grāz),USA pronunciation v., grazed, graz•ing, n.
v.t.
v.i.
n.
graz′er, n.
graz′ing•ly, adv.
v.i.
- Agricultureto feed on growing grass and pasturage, as do cattle, sheep, etc.
- Informal Termsto eat small portions of food, as appetizers or the like, in place of a full-sized meal or to snack during the course of the day in place of regular meals.
v.t.
- Agricultureto feed on (growing grass).
- Agricultureto put cattle, sheep, etc., to feed on (grass, pastureland, etc.).
- to tend (cattle, sheep, etc.) while they are at pasture.
- Middle English grasen, Old English grasian, derivative of græs grass bef. 1000
graz′er, n.
graze2 (grāz),USA pronunciation v., grazed, graz•ing, n.
v.t.
- to touch or rub lightly in passing.
- to scrape the skin from;
abrade:The bullet just grazed his shoulder.
v.i.
- to touch or rub something lightly, or so as to produce slight abrasion, in passing:to graze against a rough wall.
n.
- a grazing;
a touching or rubbing lightly in passing. - a slight scratch, scrape, or wound made in passing;
abrasion.
- 1595–1605; perh. special use of graze1; for the semantic shift compare French effleurer, derivative of fleur flower, in the same meaning
graz′ing•ly, adv.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
graze /ɡreɪz/ vb
graze /ɡreɪz/ vb
- when intr, often followed by against or along: to brush or scrape (against) gently, esp in passing
- (transitive) to break the skin of (a part of the body) by scraping
- the act of grazing
- a scrape or abrasion made by grazing
'graze' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):