A beaver is a medium-sized animal with thick fur and a flat tail that lives near rivers and lakes. Beavers are known for building dams and lodges out of wood and mud.
“Beaver” comes from Old English “beofor,” related to German “Biber” and Latin “fiber,” all referring to the same animal. These words likely go back to a root meaning “brown” or “shining one,” referring to its fur.
Beavers literally re-engineer landscapes: their dams can create new ponds, change water flow, and even help control floods. Humans once hunted them heavily not just for fur, but even for a strong-smelling oil used in perfumes and medicines.
While ‘beaver’ is primarily an animal name, it has been used as a sexualized slang term for women’s genitals, contributing to objectification and crude humor targeting women. This secondary meaning emerged in colloquial English in the 20th century and is still recognizable in some contexts.
In general or educational contexts, use ‘beaver’ strictly for the animal or related ecology. Avoid or flag sexual slang usage as potentially offensive and gendered.
["animal","rodent","Castor canadensis","Castor fiber"]
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