Shave vs. Shorn: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Shave refers to cutting hair close to the skin, often with a razor. Shorn means having had wool, hair, etc., cut off close to the skin, usually with clippers or shears.
Key Differences
Shave typically implies the use of a razor or other sharp instrument to remove hair from the surface of the skin. It's often used in the context of personal grooming, such as shaving a beard or legs. Shorn, on the other hand, originates from the past participle of shear. It is often used in the context of sheep shearing or cutting hair or wool close to the skin.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
The act of shaving is usually a regular personal grooming habit, done frequently to maintain a certain appearance. It's a process that can be self-administered. Shorn is less about regular personal maintenance and more about a significant, often less frequent removal of hair or wool, typically done by someone else or with specialized equipment.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Shave can also be used metaphorically to suggest the act of removing or reducing something in a subtle or careful manner, such as shaving costs or shaving time off a record. Shorn doesn't typically carry these metaphorical uses and remains more closely tied to its original, literal meaning.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
The word shave can be used in different tenses (shaves, shaved, shaving), indicating the action is happening in the past, present, or future. Shorn is primarily used in the past tense, implying that the action has already been completed.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Shave is often associated with precision and care, as it involves the delicate process of removing hair without damaging the skin. Shorn implies a more robust, less delicate process, as it often involves removing large amounts of hair or wool, sometimes in a less precise manner.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Associated Connotations
Precision, personal care
Bulk removal, less precision
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
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Shave and Shorn Definitions
Shave
To remove hair from the body, typically with a razor.
He shaves his beard every morning.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
Shorn
Deprived or stripped of something.
The team felt shorn of their dignity after the defeat.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
Shave
To cut something from the surface in thin slices.
The chef shaved chocolate on top of the dessert.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
Shorn
To have been cut or removed thoroughly.
The field was shorn of its crops after the harvest.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
Shave
To reduce or diminish something gradually.
They shaved costs by cutting unnecessary expenses.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
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Shorn
Cut off (wool, hair, etc.) close to the skin.
The sheep was shorn of its wool in spring.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
Shave
To trim or cut with a slight touch.
The carpenter shaved the wood to fit the door frame.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
Shorn
To be cut down or reduced significantly.
The budget was shorn by twenty percent.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
Shave
To remove the beard or other body hair from, with a razor or shaver
The barber lathered his face and then shaved him.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To cut (the beard, for example) at the surface of the skin with a razor or shaver.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shorn
Having the hair or wool cut or clipped off as if with shears or clippers;
Picked up the baby's shorn curls from the floor
Naked as a sheared sheep
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shorn
Having had something removed abruptly or harshly.
The tree was shorn of its branches during the storm.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
Shave
(transitive) To make (the head, skin etc.) bald or (the hair) shorter by using a tool such as a razor or electric clippers to cut the hair close to the skin.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
(intransitive) To remove hair from one's face by this means.
I had little time to shave this morning.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To skim along or near the surface of; to pass close to, or touch lightly, in passing.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To be hard and severe in a bargain with; to practice extortion on; to cheat.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To buy (a note) at a discount greater than the legal rate of interest, or to deduct in discounting it more than the legal rate allows.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
A premium paid for an extension of the time of delivery or payment, or for the right to vary a stock contract in any particular.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
A hand tool consisting of a sharp blade with a handle at each end; a spokeshave.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To cut or pare off from the surface of a body with a razor or other edged instrument; to cut off closely, as with a razor; as, to shave the beard.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To make bare or smooth by cutting off closely the surface, or surface covering, of; especially, to remove the hair from with a razor or other sharp instrument; to take off the beard or hair of; as, to shave the face or the crown of the head; he shaved himself.
I'll shave your crown for this.
The laborer with the bending scythe is seenShaving the surface of the waving green.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To cut off thin slices from; to cut in thin slices.
Plants bruised or shaven in leaf or root.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To skim along or near the surface of; to pass close to, or touch lightly, in passing.
Now shaves with level wing the deep.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To use a razor for removing the beard; to cut closely; hence, to be hard and severe in a bargain; to practice extortion; to cheat.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
A hand tool consisting of a sharp blade with a handle at each end; a drawing knife; a spokeshave.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
The act of passing very near to, so as almost to graze; as, the bullet missed by a close shave.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
Cut or remove with or as if with a plane;
The machine shaved off fine layers from the piece of wood
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Shave
To graze or touch lightly in passing.
The car shaved the curb as it turned the corner.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 26, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Is "shorn" used only for animals?
No, it can be used figuratively for anything stripped or deprived of something.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
What does "shorn" mean?
"Shorn" is the past participle of "shear," used to describe something that has had its hair, wool, etc., cut off.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
What's a common collocation with "shave"?
"Close shave," meaning a narrow escape from danger or trouble.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
What does "shave" mean?
"Shave" is a verb meaning to remove hair from the skin using a razor or other tool.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Can "shave" be used in a non-literal sense?
Yes, it can mean to reduce something narrowly, as in "shave off expenses."
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Can "shave" be a noun?
Yes, it can also refer to the act of shaving or the thin slice removed.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Is "shorn" commonly used?
It's less common in everyday speech and more literary or formal.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Is "shorn" used in modern contexts?
It is, but more in specific contexts like literature or formal writing.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Is "shorn" ever used for people?
Yes, but it's more poetic or archaic, as in "shorn of dignity."
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Is "shorn" ever used humorously?
Occasionally, in a playful or ironic sense.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
What's the difference between "shaved" and "shorn"?
"Shaved" typically refers to the act of removing hair from skin, while "shorn" often refers to removing wool or hair from animals.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Are there idioms with "shave"?
Yes, like "a shave and a haircut," implying a small amount of money.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
Can "shave" have a negative connotation?
Sometimes, especially in phrases like "shave off quality" implying reduction or compromise.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 02, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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