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

The Maasai in Kenya have been grazing their cattle alongside lions and elephants for centuries. —Mary Holland, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Dec. 2024

Chido, the strongest cyclone to hit Mayotte in nearly a century, also grazed nearby Madagascar and Comoros before making landfall in Mozambique, causing flash flooding and other damage. —Peter Weber, theweek, 16 Dec. 2024

Noun

Season two ends with Gi-Hun, who himself has been shot, albeit just a graze, crying on the floor next to his friend. —Peter White, Deadline, 26 Dec. 2024

Like a herd of cows, the schools of fish graze on the algae and underwater weeds that slow down the water moving through the canals, providing an essential service to SRP’s 1.1 million customers. —John Leos, The Arizona Republic, 30 Nov. 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