graze

1 of 4

verb (1)

grazed; grazing

intransitive verb

1
: to feed on growing herbage, attached algae, or phytoplankton
cattle grazing on the slopes
2
: to eat small portions of food throughout the day
She was grazing on snacks all afternoon.

transitive verb

1
a
: to crop and eat in the field
b
: to feed on the herbage of
2
a
: to put to graze
grazed his livestock in pastures
b
: to put cattle to graze on
grazed the upper field
3
: to supply herbage for the grazing of
That pasture will graze 30 head of cattle.
grazeable adjective
or grazable
grazer noun

graze

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
: an act of grazing
2
: herbage for livestock to feed on

graze

3 of 4

verb (2)

grazed; grazing

transitive verb

1
: to touch lightly in passing
The car's wheel grazed the curb.
2
: abrade, scratch
grazed her knee when she fell

intransitive verb

: to touch or rub against something in passing
Our fenders just grazed.

graze

4 of 4

noun (2)

: a scraping along a surface or an abrasion made by it
especially : a superficial abrasion of the skin
had a slight graze on her knee from falling

Examples of graze in a Sentence

Verb (1) cows grazing in the meadow Verb (2) I grazed my elbow diving for the ball the volleyball just grazed my face, so I'm okay Noun (2) a stumble that resulted in nothing more serious than a graze on the knee
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Inspired by clean textiles grazing bare skin, the scent was made for lounging in crisp white sheets. Jenny Berg, Allure, 13 Mar. 2025 The bullet grazed the victim’s head, and the shooter ran away. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
Two stations—Roost, which serves chicken, and Chopped and Wrapped, which makes salads and wraps—will maintain relatively consistent menus, while hot and cold graze stations will rotate options. Alexandria Sands, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025 The Philadelphia Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that the 15-year-old boy was shot in the left arm, while the 20-year-old woman suffered a graze wound to the chest. Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for graze

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1) and Noun (1)

Middle English grasen, from Old English grasian, from græs grass

Verb (2) and Noun (2)

perhaps from graze entry 1

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1604, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of graze was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Graze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graze. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

graze

1 of 3 verb
grazed; grazing
1
: to feed on growing grass or herbs
cattle grazing on the hill
2
: to put to feed on grass or herbs
the farmer grazed the cattle

graze

2 of 3 verb
grazed; grazing
1
: to rub or touch lightly in passing : touch against and quickly move away from
the car's wheel grazed the curb
2
: to scratch or scrape by rubbing against something
fell and grazed her knee

graze

3 of 3 noun
: an act or result of grazing
especially : a skin injury caused by grazing : scrape

More from Merriam-Webster on graze

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