razor
See also: Razor
English
![](Images/wiktionary/Rasiermesser.jpg.webp)
a straight shaving razor
Alternative forms
- razour (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English rasour, from Old French rasour, from raser (“to scrape, to shave”). More at rat.
Displaced native Old English sċierseax (literally “shaving knife”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɹeɪzə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɹeɪzɚ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -eɪzə(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: ra‧zor
Noun
razor (plural razors)
- A keen-edged knife of peculiar shape, used in shaving the hair from the face or other parts of the body.
- Any tool or instrument designed for shaving.
- The sharp tusk of a wild boar.
- (philosophy) A conceptual device that allows one to shave away unlikely explanations for a phenomenon.
- Occam's razor, Hanlon's razor
Derived terms
Terms derived from razor (noun)
- cutthroat razor
- disposable razor
- Hanlon's razor
- Hitchens' razor
- Occam's razor
- razor blade
- razor bump
- razor burn
- razor clam
- razor comb
- razor-sharp
- razor strap
- razor strop
- razor-thin
- razory
- safety razor
- straight razor
Translations
shaving knife
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shaving instrument
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tusk of wild boar
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Verb
razor (third-person singular simple present razors, present participle razoring, simple past and past participle razored)
- (transitive) To shave with a razor.
- 1868, George MacDonald, Guild Court, London: Hurst & Blackett, Volume 3, Chapter 6, p. 137,
- He thought likewise, that what with razoring and tanning, and the change of his clothes, he was not likely to be recognised.
- 1996, George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones, New York: Bantam, 2016, “Tyrion,” p. 641,
- Lord Tywin did not believe in half measures. He razored his lip and chin as well, but kept his side-whiskers, two great thickets of wiry golden hair that covered most of his cheeks from ear to jaw.
- 2008 April 13, Sara Corbett, “Can the Cellphone Help End Global Poverty?”, in New York Times:
- He might be busy examining the advertisements for prostitutes stuck up in a São Paulo phone booth, or maybe getting his ear hairs razored off at a barber shop in Vietnam.
- 1868, George MacDonald, Guild Court, London: Hurst & Blackett, Volume 3, Chapter 6, p. 137,
Derived terms
- razorable (obsolete)
References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “razor”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.