Beaver \Bea"ver\, n. [OE. bever, AS. beofer, befer; akin to D. bever, OHG. bibar, G. biber, Sw. b["a]fver, Dan. b[ae]ver, Lith. bebru, Russ. bobr', Gael. beabhar, Corn. befer, L. fiber, and Skr. babhrus large ichneumon; also as an adj., brown, the animal being probably named from its color. [root]253. See {Brown}.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) An amphibious rodent, of the genus {Castor}.
Note: It has palmated hind feet, and a broad, flat tail. It is remarkable for its ingenuity in constructing its lodges or ``houses,'' and dams across streams. It is valued for its fur, and for the material called {castor}, obtained from two small bags in the groin of the animal. The European species is {Castor fiber}, and the American is generally considered a variety of this, although sometimes called {Castor Canadensis}.
2. The fur of the beaver.
3. A hat, formerly made of the fur of the beaver, but now usually of silk.
A brown beaver slouched over his eyes. --Prescott.
4. Beaver cloth, a heavy felted woolen cloth, used chiefly for making overcoats.
5. A man's beard. [PJC]
6. The hair on a woman's pubic area; -- vulgar. [vulgar slang] [PJC]
7. A woman; -- vulgar and offensive. [vulgar slang] [PJC]
8. A person who works enthusiastically and diligently; -- used especially in the phrase {eager beaver}. [informal] [PJC]
{Beaver rat} (Zo["o]l.), an aquatic ratlike quadruped of Tasmania ({Hydromys chrysogaster}).
{Beaver skin}, the furry skin of the beaver.
{Bank beaver}. See under 1st {Bank}.
Beaver \Bea"ver\, n. [OE. baviere, bauier, beavoir, bever; fr. F. bavi[`e]re, fr. bave slaver, drivel, foam, OF., prattle, drivel, perh. orig. an imitative word. Bavi[`e]re, according to Cotgrave, is the bib put before a (slavering) child.] That piece of armor which protected the lower part of the face, whether forming a part of the helmet or fixed to the breastplate. It was so constructed (with joints or otherwise) that the wearer could raise or lower it to eat and drink.
The eager beaver tries to take over the group but generally isn't the best person.
Heavy pelt buying by foreigners, a weak dollar and growing customer demand push up prices of mink coats as much as 50% from last year; beaver, raccoon and fox prices are up 10% to 30%.
"We brought close to 200 pounds of beaver meat with us," said Rollin Welch, handler for Graham, who also didn't finish the race. "It's a high-protein meat.
Railroad crews pumped jet and diesel fuel off beaver ponds today after draining 10 of the derailed tanker cars that spewed 120,000 gallons into an area with wildlife and newly spawned fish.
The fuel had drained into two beaver ponds and into Goldstream Creek, which flows into a wildlife refuge about 40 miles south of Fairbanks.
He used plenty of curly Persian lamb touches, putting wavy piping on "nappa" leather coats with bold heart-shaped buttons, or contrasting dark gray lapels and cuffs on swirly little white beaver short coats.
Haddon said the explosives were owned by a friend of Thompson's who used them to dislodge beaver dams.
You might not lick yours chops at the sight of ground beef mixed with beaver meat and a dash of powdered eggs.
It took veterinarian David Robinson an hour of donated time to give the 48-pound beaver a tubal ligation and hysterectomy.
The taut line of boom, some of it homemade, gives the appearance of a beaver dam during spring's high water.