graze

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graze1 / grāz/ • v. [intr.] (of cattle, sheep, etc.) eat grass in a field: cattle graze on the open meadows. ∎  [tr.] (of an animal) feed on (grass or land covered by grass): llamas graze the tufts of grass. ∎  [tr.] put (cattle, sheep, etc.) to feed on land covered by grass: shepherds who grazed animals on common land. ∎ inf. (of a person) eat small quantities of food at frequent but irregular intervals: advertisers should not encourage children to graze on snacks or sweets. ∎ inf. casually sample something: we grazed up and down the channels.DERIVATIVES: graz·er n.graze2 • v. [tr.] scrape the skin of (a part of the body) so as to break the surface but cause little or no bleeding: she fell down and grazed her knees. ∎  touch or scrape lightly in passing: his hands just grazed hers.• n. a slight injury where the skin is scraped: it'll be fine, it's only a graze.