beaver
noun /ˈbiːvə(r)/
/ˈbiːvər/
- [countable] an animal with a wide flat tail and strong teeth. Beavers live in water and on land and can build dams (= barriers across rivers), made of pieces of wood and mud. The beaver is an official symbol of Canada. see also eager beaverTopics Animalsc2
enlarge image - [uncountable] the fur of the beaver, used in making hats and clothes
- [countable] (especially North American English, taboo, slang) the area around a woman’s sex organs
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 Old English beofor, befor, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bever and German Biber, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘brown’. noun sense 3 early 20th cent.: of unknown origin.