verb
graze
grayz
verb
1
To eat growing grass, or to let animals feed on pasture.
"The cows grazed peacefully in the field all afternoon."
"Farmers move the sheep to a new paddock so they always have fresh grass to graze on."
2
To touch or rub something lightly while passing it, sometimes scraping the skin.
"The bullet grazed his shoulder without causing serious damage."
"She grazed her knee when she tripped on the pavement."
noun
1
A minor scrape or scratch on the skin.
"He cleaned the graze on his elbow with antiseptic."
How to Use Graze
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither animals eating grass in a field, or something brushing past you closely enough to leave a light scratch.
Common pairings
graze on grass
a graze on the knee
cattle graze
Word Forms
grazed past tense, grazes plural, grazes singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “graze”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The cows _____ peacefully in the field all afternoon.
Etymology
From Old English grasian, "to feed on grass," built from the word grass itself.