ENGLISH
REFERENCE

shave down

idiom
Meaning

To reduce something in size or thickness by gradually removing thin layers or cutting it down closely.


Examples
SIMPLE

You need to shave down the wood to make it fit.

CONTEXTUAL

The carpenter had to shave down the edges of the door so it would close properly.

COMPLEX

To ensure the mechanism operated without friction, the engineer had to carefully shave down the metal components until they reached the precise dimensions required.

Anchors to
Related idioms1entry
  1. 01

    permanent shave

    A throat-slitting.

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