beaver

1. (countable) A semiaquatic rodent of the genus Castor, having a wide, flat tail and webbed feet, native to the Northern Hemisphere.Examples: "Then, for the safeguard of his personage, He did appoint a warlike equipage Of foreign beasts, not in the forest bred, But part by land and part by water fed; For tyranny is with strange aid supported. Then unto him all monstrous beasts resorted Bred of two kinds, as Griffons, Minotaurs, Crocodiles, Dragons, Beavers, and Centaurs: With those himself he strengthened mightily, That fear he need no force of enemy."countable

2. (countable) A hat, of various shapes, made from a felted beaver fur (or later of silk), fashionable in Europe between 1550 and 1850.Examples: "a broad beaver slouched over his eyes"; "The woman's hair and woman's beaver had both been jerked off, exposing the cropped head of a man..."Synonyms: castor, castoreumcountable

3. (Canada, US) Beaver pelts as an article of exchange or as a standard of value.CanadaUScountableuncountable

4. (countable, backgammon) A move in response to being doubled, in which one immediately doubles the stakes again, keeping the doubling cube on one’s own side of the board.countable

5. (countable, slang) A beard or a bearded person.Examples: "The beards were false ones. I could see the elastic going over their ears. In other words, I had fallen among a band of criminals who were not wilful beavers, but had merely assumed the fungus for purposes of disguise."Synonyms: beard, beardo, beardycountableslang

6. (uncountable, historical, slang) A game, in which points are scored by spotting beards.historicalslanguncountable