# beaver

Pronunciation: US say "BEE-vur" /ˈbivɚ/; UK say "BEE-vuh" /ˈbiːvə/

## Noun

1. A large semiaquatic rodent of the genus Castor, found in the Northern Hemisphere, with webbed feet and a broad, flat tail.
   - Simple: A large rodent that lives near water, with a wide flat tail and webbed back feet.
   - _The beaver felled several young trees to build its lodge._
   - _Beavers can stay underwater for several minutes while they work._
2. The soft, dense fur taken from the beaver.
   - Simple: The soft, thick fur that comes from a beaver.
   - _The hat's brim was trimmed with glossy beaver._
   - _Furriers valued beaver for its dense, water-shedding quality._
4. Vulgar slang for the pubic hair near the vulva, or the vulva itself; used attributively of films or magazines featuring nude women. *(slang, Canada, US)*
   - Simple: A rude slang word for a woman's pubic hair or genitals.
   - _He muttered something crude about her beaver and earned a slap._
   - _The newsstand stocked beaver magazines beneath the respectable titles._
5. The pelts of beavers treated as an item of exchange or as a measure of value. *(Canada, US)*
   - Simple: Animal skins from beavers, once used like money in trade.
   - _A musket might be priced at twelve beaver at the post._
   - _Traders settled their debts in beaver rather than coin._
6. A hat of felted beaver fur, or later of silk, made in various shapes and fashionable in Europe from about 1550 to 1850.
   - Simple: A hat made from pressed beaver fur, or later from silk, popular long ago in Europe.
   - _The merchant brushed the rain from his beaver before stepping inside._
   - _Tall beavers crowned the heads of the gentlemen at the assembly._
7. Offensive slang for a woman, especially one regarded as sexually attractive. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: An offensive slang word for a woman, especially an attractive one.
   - _He referred to every woman in the office as a beaver, to everyone's disgust._
   - _She bristled when the stranger called her a beaver._
8. A heavy felted woolen cloth with a soft nap, used chiefly for making overcoats.
   - Simple: A heavy wool cloth with a soft, thick surface, used to make warm coats.
   - _The overcoat was cut from beaver, a dense wool cloth with a soft nap._
   - _Northern mills wove beaver for military greatcoats._
9. A shade of brown resembling the fur of a beaver.
   - Simple: A brown color, like the fur of a beaver.
   - _The leather boots are available in black, chestnut, and a soft beaver._
   - _Walls washed in soft beaver gave the study a cozy feel._

## Verb

3. To work hard and steadily.
   - Simple: To work very hard, often for a long time.
   - _Volunteers beaver away clearing the trail every weekend._
   - _She beavered away at her thesis late into the night._

## Other meanings

- (noun) In backgammon, an immediate redouble by a player who has just been doubled, made while keeping the doubling cube on their own side.
- (verb) In backgammon, to double the stakes again immediately after being doubled, keeping the doubling cube on one's own side.
- (verb) To take on a felt-like texture, in the manner that beaver fur is worked into felt.
- (verb) To cut a continuous ring around the trunk of a tree being felled.
- (noun) A beard, or by extension a person who wears one.
- (noun) A spotting game in which points are scored by being the first to call out a passing beard.
- (verb) To spot and call out a beard while playing the game of beaver.

## Origin

From Middle English bever, from Old English befer, going back through Proto-Germanic to Proto-Indo-European *bʰébʰrus ('beaver'). It has cognates like German Biber, Latin fiber, and Russian бобр. The slang use for a woman grew out of a use for pubic hair, which grew out of a use for beards, which itself came from the name for the furry animal or its fur.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/beaver (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).