graze

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈgrāz 

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

ˈgrā-zə-bəl 

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

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• browse
• forage
• pasture
• rustle

Verb (2)

• abrade
• scrape
• scratch
• scuff

Noun (2)

• abrasion
• bruise
• scrape

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

Verb

Dairy cows grazing on a farm near Oxford, New Zealand, in 2018. —Mahalia Dobson, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024

Crooks fatally shot one rally attendee, and one of his bullets grazed Trump’s ear, streaking his face with blood. —Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2024

Noun

Police did not disclose where they were hit, but a law enforcement source told The Times that preliminary information suggests that one of the officers suffered a graze wound to the leg, while the other was struck in the hand by shrapnel. —Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024

Injuries range from minor to critical, with some victims sustaining graze wounds, according to police. —Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

graze

1 of 3 verb

ˈgrāz 

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