Meanings
noungraze (plural grazes)
plural grazes
- The act of grazing; a scratching or injuring lightly on passing.
- The act of animals feeding from pasture.
If it be sundown, when the herds are returning from their daily graze in the long grass of the jungle, clouds of dust will be marking their track along every approach to the village […]
1904, Empire Review, volume 6, page 188
verbgraze (third-person singular simple present grazes, present participle grazing, simple past and past participle grazed)
present singular third person grazes · participle present grazing · participle past grazed · past grazed
- transitiveTo feed or supply (cattle, sheep, etc.) with grass; to furnish pasture for.
He hath a Houſe and Barn in repair, a Field or two to graze his Cows, with a Garden and Orchard.
1732 March 6 (Gregorian calendar; date written), [Jonathan Swift], Considerations upon Two Bills Sent Down from the R[ight] H[onourable] the H[ouse] of L[ords] to the H[onoura]ble H[ouse] of C[ommons of Ireland] Relating to the Clergy of I[relan]d, London: […] A. Moore, […], published 1732, →OCLC, page 241 more example
Although it is perfectly good meadowland, none of the villagers has ever grazed animals on the meadow on the other side of the wall.
1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust - ambitransitiveTo feed on; to eat (growing herbage); to eat grass from (a pasture)
Cattle graze in the meadows.
2 more examples
The lambs vvith vvolves ſhall graze the verdant mead, / And boys in flovv'ry bands the tyger lead; […]
1712 (date written), Alexander Pope, “Messiah. A Sacred Eclogue, in Imitation of Virgil’s Pollio.”, in The Works of Alexander Pope Esq. […], volume I, London: […] J[ohn] and P[aul] Knapton, H. Lintot, J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, and S. Draper, published 1751, →OCLC, page 41, lines 77–78The bird [Canada goose] is more often found on land than other waterfowl because of its love for seeds and grains. The long neck is well adapted for grazing.
1993, John Montroll, Origami Inside-Out, page 41 - transitiveTo tend (cattle, etc.) while grazing.
Shylock: When Jacob grazed his uncle Laban's sheep
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii] - intransitiveTo eat small amounts of food periodically throughout the day, rather than at fixed mealtimes, often not in response to hunger.
Many people, however, snack and graze from roughly the time they wake up until shortly before they go to bed.
2018 July 24, Anahad O’Connor, “When We Eat, or Don’t Eat, May Be Critical for Health”, in The New York Times, →ISSN1 more example
Furthermore, people who take the time to sit down to proper meals find their food more satisfying than people who graze throughout the day. If you skip meals, you will inevitably end up snacking on more high-fat high-sugar foods.
2008, Mohgah Elsheikh, Caroline Murphy, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - To shoplift by consuming food or drink items before reaching the checkout.
Had the Grievant attempted to pay for the Mylanta or actually paid for it, then she would not be guilty of grazing or shoplifting.
2001, Labor Arbitration Information System, volume 2, page 591 more example
Grazing refers to customers who consume food items before paying for them, for example, a customer bags one and a half pounds of grapes in the produce department, eats some as she continues her shopping […]
1992, Shoplifting, page 18 - transitiveTo rub or touch lightly the surface of (a thing) in passing.
the bullet grazed the wall
1 more example
But in that gale, the port, the land, is that ship’s direst jeopardy; she must fly all hospitality; one touch of land, though it but graze the keel, would make her shudder through and through.
1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter XXIII, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLCSynonyms: glance
- intransitiveTo yield grass for grazing.
The sewers must be kept so as the water may not stay too long in the spring; for then the ground continueth the wet, whereby it will never graze to purpose that year.
1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo rub or touch lightly the surface of (a thing) in passing.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*gʰreh₁-
- Proto-Germanic*grasą
- Proto-Germanic*grasōną
- Proto-West Germanic*grasōn
- Old Englishgrasian
- Middle Englishgrasen
- Englishgraze
Inherited from Middle English grasen (“to feed with grass”), from Old English grasian, from Proto-West Germanic *grasōn, from Proto-Germanic *grasōną, from *grasą (“grass”) + *-ōną (verbal suffix). Doublet of grass.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans laat wei, wei
- laat weito feed or supply with grass
- weito eat grass from a pasture
Arabic سَحَج, رَعَى
- سَحَج (saḥaj)light scratch
- رَعَى (raʕā)to feed or supply with grass
- اِرْتَعَى (irtaʕā)to eat grass from a pasture
Bulgarian докосване, закачане
- докосване (dokosvane)act of grazing or scratching lightly
- закачане (zakačane)act of grazing or scratching lightly
- драскотина (draskotina)light scratch
- паса́ (pasá)to feed or supply with grass
- паса́ (pasá)to eat grass from a pasture
- паса́ (pasá)to tend cattle while grazing
- зака́чам (zakáčam)to rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- закача́ (zakačá)to rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- одра́сквам (odráskvam)to rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- одра́скам (odráskam)to rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- ожу́лвам (ožúlvam)to cause a slight wound to
- ожу́ля (ožúlja)to cause a slight wound to
- нади́рам (nadíram)to cause a slight wound to
- надера́ (naderá)to cause a slight wound to
Catalan esgarrapada, péixer
- esgarrapadaact of grazing or scratching lightly
- péixerto feed or supply with grass
- pasturarto eat grass from a pasture
- péixerto eat grass from a pasture
- esgarraparto cause a slight wound to
Chinese Mandarin 放牧, 吃草
- 放牧 (fàngmù)to feed or supply with grass
- 吃草 (chīcǎo)to eat grass from a pasture
Czech škrábnutí, škrábnutí
- škrábnutíact of grazing or scratching lightly
- škrábnutílight scratch
- škrábaneclight scratch
- pástto feed or supply with grass
- pást seto eat grass from a pasture
- škrábnoutto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- škrábnoutto cause a slight wound to
Danish græsse
- græsseto eat grass from a pasture
Dutch grazen, begrazen
- grazento eat grass from a pasture
- begrazento eat grass from a pasture
- hoedento tend cattle while grazing
- schampento rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
Esperanto paŝtiĝi, paŝti
- paŝtiĝito eat grass from a pasture
- paŝtito tend cattle while grazing
Finnish naarmuttaminen, raapaisu
- naarmuttaminenact of grazing or scratching lightly
- raapaisuact of grazing or scratching lightly
- hipaisuact of grazing or scratching lightly
- naarmulight scratch
- ruokkiato feed or supply with grass
- laiduntaato eat grass from a pasture
- paimentaato tend cattle while grazing
- hipaistato rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- hipoato rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- naarmuttaato rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- raapaistato rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- sivutato rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- raapaistato cause a slight wound to
- naarmuttaato cause a slight wound to
French éraflure, faire paître
- éraflureact of grazing or scratching lightly
- faire paîtreto feed or supply with grass
- brouterto eat grass from a pasture
- paîtreto eat grass from a pasture
- pâturerto eat grass from a pasture
- faire paîtreto tend cattle while grazing
- paîtreto tend cattle while grazing
- grignoterto eat small amounts of food periodically throughout the day
- raserto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- effleurerto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- frôlerto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- éraflerto cause a slight wound to
- écorcherto cause a slight wound to
German Kratzen, Schrammen
- Kratzenact of grazing or scratching lightly
- Schrammenact of grazing or scratching lightly
- Schabenact of grazing or scratching lightly
- Schleifenact of grazing or scratching lightly
- Schürfenact of grazing or scratching lightly
- Kratzerlight scratch
- Schrammelight scratch
- Abschürfunglight scratch
- Schürfwundelight scratch
- grasen lassento feed or supply with grass
- weiden lassento feed or supply with grass
- beweidento feed or supply with grass
- weidento eat grass from a pasture
- grasento eat grass from a pasture
- hütento tend cattle while grazing
- grasen lassento tend cattle while grazing
- weiden lassento tend cattle while grazing
- touchierento rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- streifento rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- ankratzento rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- schrammento rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
Greek γρατζούνισμα, γδάρσιμο
- γρατζούνισμα (gratzoúnisma)act of grazing or scratching lightly
- γδάρσιμο (gdársimo)act of grazing or scratching lightly
- γρατζουνιά (gratzouniá)light scratch
- αμυχή (amychí)light scratch
- βόσκω (vósko)to feed or supply with grass
- βόσκω (vósko)to eat grass from a pasture
- βόσκω (vósko)to tend cattle while grazing
- γδέρνω (gdérno)to cause a slight wound to
Hebrew ללחכך
- ללחכךto eat grass from a pasture
Hindi चरना, चराना
- चरना (carnā)to eat grass from a pasture
- चराना (carānā)to tend cattle while grazing
Hungarian súrolás, karcolás
- súrolásact of grazing or scratching lightly
- karcoláslight scratch
- legeltetto feed or supply with grass
- legelto eat grass from a pasture
- súrolto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- karcolto cause a slight wound to
- horzsolto cause a slight wound to
Icelandic bíta gras
- bíta grasto eat grass from a pasture
Irish cuir ar féarach, bí ar féarach
- cuir ar féarachto feed or supply with grass
- bí ar féarachto eat grass from a pasture
- bí ag inniltto eat grass from a pasture
- bí ag iníorto eat grass from a pasture
- scinnto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
Italian sbucciatura, escoriazione
- sbucciaturaact of grazing or scratching lightly
- escoriazionelight scratch
- pascolareto feed or supply with grass
- pascereto eat grass from a pasture
- pascolareto eat grass from a pasture
- brucareto eat grass from a pasture
- pascereto tend cattle while grazing
- sfiorareto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- lambireto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- rasentareto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- radereto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- sbucciareto cause a slight wound to
- spellareto cause a slight wound to
- scorticareto cause a slight wound to
Japanese 擦り傷, 放牧する
- 擦り傷 (kasuri-kizu)light scratch
- 放牧する (hōboku suru)to feed or supply with grass
- 草をはむ (kusa o hamu)to eat grass from a pasture
Korean 방목하다, 풀을 뜯다
- 방목하다 (bangmokhada)to feed or supply with grass
- 풀을 뜯다 (pureul tteutda)to eat grass from a pasture
- 뜯어먹다 (tteudeomeokda)to eat grass from a pasture
Latin pābulor, pasco
- pābulorto eat grass from a pasture
- pascoto eat grass from a pasture
Māori whāngai karaehe, kai karaehe
- whāngai karaeheto feed or supply with grass
- kai karaeheto eat grass from a pasture
- tītongito eat grass from a pasture
- tītongitongito eat grass from a pasture
- tītongito eat grass from a pasture
- hanito rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- hārauto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- honito rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- honihonito rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- karipito rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- mirito rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- ripito rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
Norwegian beite, gresse
- beiteto eat grass from a pasture
- gresseto eat grass from a pasture
- gå på gressto eat grass from a pasture
Norwegian Bokmål streife
- streifeact of grazing or scratching lightly
Polish paść
- paśćto feed or supply with grass
Portuguese arranhão, ralado
- arranhãoact of grazing or scratching lightly
- raladoact of grazing or scratching lightly
- raspadoact of grazing or scratching lightly
- arranhãolight scratch
- raladolight scratch
- raspadolight scratch
- dar de pastarto feed or supply with grass
- pastarto eat grass from a pasture
- arranharto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- rasparto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- ralarto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- arranharto cause a slight wound to
- ralarto cause a slight wound to
Romanian paște, pășuna
- pașteto feed or supply with grass
- pășunato feed or supply with grass
- pașteto eat grass from a pasture
- păstorito eat grass from a pasture
- pașteto tend cattle while grazing
- pășunato tend cattle while grazing
Russian задева́ние, цара́пина
- задева́ние (zadevánije)act of grazing or scratching lightly
- цара́пина (carápina)light scratch
- сса́дина (ssádina)light scratch
- пасти́ (pastí)to feed or supply with grass
- пасти́сь (pastísʹ)to eat grass from a pasture
- пасти́ (pastí)to tend cattle while grazing
- цара́пать (carápatʹ)to rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- поцара́пать (pocarápatʹ)to cause a slight wound to
- содра́ть (sodrátʹ)to cause a slight wound to
- ссади́ть (ssadítʹ)to cause a slight wound to
Slovak pásť, pásť sa
- pásťto feed or supply with grass
- pásť sato eat grass from a pasture
Spanish rasguño, arañazo
- rasguñoact of grazing or scratching lightly
- arañazoact of grazing or scratching lightly
- rasguñolight scratch
- apacentarto feed or supply with grass
- apastarto feed or supply with grass
- pacerto feed or supply with grass
- pastarto feed or supply with grass
- pastearto feed or supply with grass
- pastorearto feed or supply with grass
- apacentarseto eat grass from a pasture
- campearto eat grass from a pasture
- pacerto eat grass from a pasture
- pastarto eat grass from a pasture
- pastearto eat grass from a pasture
- picarto eat small amounts of food periodically throughout the day
Swedish tuscha, toucha
- tuschaact of grazing or scratching lightly
- touchaact of grazing or scratching lightly
- betato eat grass from a pasture
Tamil மேய், மேய்
- மேய் (mēy)to feed or supply with grass
- மேய் (mēy)to eat grass from a pasture
Thai เลี้ยง
- เลี้ยง (líiang)to feed or supply with grass
Turkish sıyırma, sıyırmak
- sıyırmaact of grazing or scratching lightly
- sıyırmakact of grazing or scratching lightly
- sıyrıklight scratch
- otlatmakto feed or supply with grass
- otarmakto feed or supply with grass
- otlamakto eat grass from a pasture
- çayırlamakto eat grass from a pasture
- otlatmakto tend cattle while grazing
- otarmakto tend cattle while grazing
- sıyırmakto rub or touch lightly the surface of in passing
- sıyırmakto cause a slight wound to
Ukrainian па́сти, па́стися
- па́сти (pásty)to feed or supply with grass
- па́стися (pástysja)to eat grass from a pasture
Vietnamese chăn
- chănto feed or supply with grass
Welsh pori, porfelu
- porito feed or supply with grass
- porfeluto feed or supply with grass
- porito eat grass from a pasture
Yiddish פּאַשען, פּאַשען
- פּאַשען (pashen)to feed or supply with grass
- פּאַשען (pashen)to eat grass from a pasture
- פּאַשען (pashen)to tend cattle while grazing
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with graze
dayswaysphaseraiseresphrasepraisegayshayesstayseraseblazemazemaizebaysgazehazehaysmayscrazegraysamazedazemayonnaise
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
graze. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/graze
MLA
“graze.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/graze. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “graze,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/graze.
Source: graze on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.