Illustration of beaver
- B beaver 1
plural beavers
1
or plural beaver
a
: either of two large semiaquatic herbivorous rodents comprising a family (Castoridae including Castor canadensis of North America and C. fiber of Eurasia), having webbed hind feet and a broad flat scaly tail, and constructing dams and partially submerged lodges
b
: the fur or pelt of the beaver
2
a
: a hat made of beaver fur or a fabric imitation
b
: silk hat
3
: a heavy fabric of felted wool or of cotton napped on both sides
4
vulgar
: the genitals of a female especially when covered with pubic hair
1
: a piece of armor protecting the lower part of the face
2
: a helmet visor
beavered; beavering; beavers
: to work energetically
beavering away at the problem
Synonyms
Examples of beaver in a Sentence
Verb
he's been beavering away at the various courses for his dinner party all day long, hoping to impress his new friends
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Tubridy, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2024
The busy beaver function is the first example of a noncalculable mathematical expression.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 25 July 2024
The logo for Buc-ee's, a popular chain of convenience stores, is a beaver with a red cap.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
The story follows a young girl, Mabel, who can transfer her mind into a robot beaver with the goal of going undercover in the animal kingdom.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 10 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for beaver 
Noun
In addition to Hollanders were Belgium Walloons, Germans, Scandinavians and Africans — both free and enslaved — working, and drinking, themselves to exhaustion or trading for lucrative beaver pelts or bear skins with the area’s indigenous tribes.
—Michael Tubridy, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2024
The busy beaver function is the first example of a noncalculable mathematical expression.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 25 July 2024
The logo for Buc-ee's, a popular chain of convenience stores, is a beaver with a red cap.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
The story follows a young girl, Mabel, who can transfer her mind into a robot beaver with the goal of going undercover in the animal kingdom.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 10 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for beaver
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beaver.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Beaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beaver. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
beaver
1 of 2 noun
bea·ver
ˈbē-vər 
plural beaver or beavers
1
: a large plant-eating rodent that has webbed hind feet and a broad flat tail and that builds dams and houses of mud and branches which are partly underwater
2
: the fur of a beaver
beaver
2 of 2 noun
: a piece of armor protecting the lower part of the face
Geographical Definition
Beaver
geographical name
Bea·ver
ˈbē-vər
1
river 280 miles (451 kilometers) long in northwestern Oklahoma forming the upper course of the North Canadian River
2
river 305 miles (491 kilometers) long Canada in Alberta and Saskatchewan flowing east into the Churchill River
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