graze
verb /ɡreɪz/
/ɡreɪz/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they graze | /ɡreɪz/ /ɡreɪz/ |
| he / she / it grazes | /ˈɡreɪzɪz/ /ˈɡreɪzɪz/ |
| past simple grazed | /ɡreɪzd/ /ɡreɪzd/ |
| past participle grazed | /ɡreɪzd/ /ɡreɪzd/ |
| -ing form grazing | /ˈɡreɪzɪŋ/ /ˈɡreɪzɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] (of cows, sheep, etc.) to eat grass that is growing in a field
- There were cows grazing beside the river.
- graze on something The horses were grazing on the lush grass.
- graze something The field had been grazed by sheep.
Wordfinder- arable
- barn
- crop
- cultivate
- dairy
- fallow
- farm
- graze
- livestock
- tractor
Extra ExamplesTopics Farmingc2, Animalsc2- Sheep were grazing peacefully in the fields.
- The cattle were turned out to graze.
- lambs grazing on the rough moorland pasture
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- contentedly
- peacefully
- quietly
- …
- allow something to
- turn something out to
- on
- upon
- [transitive] graze something to put cows, sheep, etc. in a field so that they can eat the grass there
- The land is used by local people to graze their animals.
Collocations FarmingFarmingGrowing food and raising animals- plant trees/seeds/crops/vines/barley
- grow/produce corn/wheat/rice/fruit
- plough/(North American English) plow land/a field
- sow/harvest seeds/crops/fields
- spread manure/fertilizer on something
- cultivate/irrigate/water/contaminate crops/plants/fields/land
- damage/destroy/lose your crop
- ripen/pick fruit/berries/grapes
- press/dry/ferment grapes
- grind/thresh grain/corn/wheat
- raise/rear/keep chickens/poultry/cattle/pigs
- raise/breed/feed/graze livestock/cattle/sheep
- kill/slaughter livestock
- preserve/smoke/cure/salt meat
- run a fish farm/an organic dairy farm
- engage in/be involved in intensive (pig/fish) farming
- use/apply (chemical/organic) fertilizer/insecticides/pesticides
- begin/do/conduct field trials of GM (= genetically modified) crops
- grow/develop GM crops/seeds/plants/foods
- fund/invest in genetic engineering/research
- improve/increase crop yields
- face/suffer from/alleviate food shortages
- label food that contains GMOs (= genetically modified organisms)
- eliminate/reduce farm subsidies
- oppose/be against factory farming/GM food
- promote/encourage/support organic/sustainable farming
- [intransitive] graze (on something) (informal) to eat small amounts of food many times during the day, often while doing other things, instead of eating three meals
- I have this really bad habit of grazing on junk food.
- Some patients find it better to graze, eating lots of small snacks throughout the day.
- Grazing is becoming the American way of eating.
- Food grazing can lead to obesity.
- [transitive] graze something (on something) to break the surface of your skin by rubbing it against something rough
- I fell and grazed my knee.
- He grazed his elbow on a sharp piece of rock.
Collocations InjuriesInjuriesBeing injured- have a fall/an injury
- receive/suffer/sustain a serious injury/a hairline fracture/(especially British English) whiplash/a gunshot wound
- hurt/injure your ankle/back/leg
- damage the brain/an ankle ligament/your liver/the optic nerve/the skin
- pull/strain/tear a hamstring/ligament/muscle/tendon
- sprain/twist your ankle/wrist
- break a bone/your collarbone/your leg/three ribs
- fracture/crack your skull
- break/chip/knock out/lose a tooth
- burst/perforate your eardrum
- dislocate your finger/hip/jaw/shoulder
- bruise/cut/graze your arm/knee/shoulder
- burn/scald yourself/your tongue
- bang/bump/hit/ (informal) bash your elbow/head/knee (on/against something)
- treat somebody for burns/a head injury/a stab wound
- examine/clean/dress/bandage/treat a bullet wound
- repair a damaged/torn ligament/tendon/cartilage
- amputate/cut off an arm/a finger/a foot/a leg/a limb
- put on/ (formal) apply/take off (especially North American English) a Band-Aid™/(British English) a plaster/a bandage
- need/require/put in/ (especially British English) have (out)/ (North American English) get (out) stitches
- put on/rub on/ (formal) apply cream/ointment/lotion
- have/receive/undergo (British English) physiotherapy/(North American English) physical therapy
Extra ExamplesTopics Illnessc2- He fell and grazed his knees on a rock
- She had grazed her elbow quite badly.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- badly
- just
- only
- …
- on
- [transitive] graze something to touch something lightly while passing it
- The bullet grazed his cheek.
- The bullet only grazed his shoulder.
Word Originverb senses 1 to 2 Old English grasian, from græs ‘grass’. verb senses 3 to 4 late 16th cent.: perhaps a specific use of graze ‘eat grass in a field’.