beavers

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   large rodents with thick brown fur and flat tails that cut down trees and build dams across streams

   Grammar: This is the plural form; the singular is 'beaver'. It is a countable noun, so use numbers or 'many/few' with it.

   Patterns

   • a colony of beavers
   • beavers build dams

   We saw two beavers swimming near the lodge at dusk.

   Beavers use their strong teeth to fell small trees.

   The park ranger explained how beavers change the flow of a river.

2. 2verbintransitiveBritishinformal

   works hard for a long time on a task (usually followed by 'away')

   Grammar: Mainly used in British English as 'beaver away'; takes no object and is often followed by 'at' or 'on'.

   Patterns

   • beaver away at something
   • beaver away on something

   She beavered away at her essay all weekend.

   They beaver away in the lab, hoping to finish the experiment.

Word forms

Common combinations

eager beaver

He's an eager beaver who always volunteers first.

beaver dam

The beaver dam created a small pond in the woods.

busy as a beaver

She's been busy as a beaver preparing for the conference.

Synonyms and how they differ

rodent

A broader scientific term for the group that includes beavers, rats, and mice; it is more general.

mammal

An even wider category; beavers are mammals, but so are whales and humans.

Word family

beaver noun

The singular form of the animal.

beaver verb

To work hard, usually in the phrase 'beaver away'.

beavered verb

Past tense and past participle of 'beaver'.

beavering verb

-ing form of 'beaver'.

Commonly confused: beavers or badger?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “beavers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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