hair

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. one single thin strand that grows from the skin.

n. an individual filament of keratin. Countable when referring to distinct strands.

“I found a long black hair on my white sweater.”

“The forensic team recovered a single hair from the upholstery, which provided enough DNA for a definitive identification.”

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun zoology

n. the coat of an animal, like a dog or a cat.

n. the collective integumentary covering of a non-human mammal.

“The dog leaves white hair all over the sofa.”

“Certain breeds of cattle have developed a thick, oily hair to protect them from the harsh mountain climate.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. a very small distance or amount.

n. a minute degree or narrow margin; often used in the idiom 'by a hair'.

“The car missed the fence by a hair.”

“The incumbent managed to retain his seat by a hair, winning the final tally by fewer than fifty votes.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Science Technical

n. thin, thread-like parts on a plant or an insect.

n. a slender outgrowth from the epidermis of a plant or the cuticle of an invertebrate.

“The leaves of the plant are covered in tiny silver hairs.”

“Under the microscope, the stinging hairs of the nettle appear as hollow silica tubes designed to inject irritants into the skin.”

C2 · Proficiency Technical

v. to take the hair off a skin or hide.

v. to strip or remove the hair from a hide or skin during processing. Transitive use.

“The leather worker had to hair the hide before tanning it.”

“Traditional methods to hair the skins involved soaking them in a lime solution to loosen the follicles.”