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hair

n. · v.
US //ˈhɛɹ// UK //hˈeə// hair
  1. 1 on the head (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    the mass of thin strands growing on your head.

    the collective growth of pigmented keratinous filaments on the human scalp. Uncountable in this general sense.

    Example

    She decided to cut her hair short for the summer.

    Example

    The stylist recommended a specific treatment to restore shine to her hair after years of chemical dyeing.
    • baldness
    Pitfall
    She has long hairs.
    She has long hair.

    When talking about all the hair on someone's head, use the uncountable form 'hair' without an 's'.

  2. 2 a single strand (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    one single thin strand that grows from the skin.

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

    Example

    I found a long black hair on my white sweater.

    Example

    The forensic team recovered a single hair from the upholstery, which provided enough DNA for a definitive identification.
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  1. 3 animal fur (n.)
    B1 Intermediate zoology

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

    the collective integumentary covering of a non-human mammal.

    Example

    The dog leaves white hair all over the sofa.

    Example

    Certain breeds of cattle have developed a thick, oily hair to protect them from the harsh mountain climate.
  2. 4 a tiny distance (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    a very small distance or amount.

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

    Example

    The car missed the fence by a hair.

    Example

    The incumbent managed to retain his seat by a hair, winning the final tally by fewer than fifty votes.
  3. 5 plant/insect fibers (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    Under the microscope, the stinging hairs of the nettle appear as hollow silica tubes designed to inject irritants into the skin.
  4. 6 to remove hair (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    to take the hair off a skin or hide.

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

From Middle English her, heer, hær, from Old English hǣr, from Proto-West Germanic hār, from Proto-Germanic hērą (“hair”), from Proto-Indo-European *kes- (“to scrape, comb”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hier, Híer (“hair”), West Frisian hier (“hair”), Cimbrian haar, har (“hair”), Dutch haar (“hair”), German and Low German Haar (“hair”), Luxembourgish Hoer (“hair”), Mòcheno hor (“hair”), Yiddish האָר (hor, “hair”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish hår (“hair”), Faroese and Icelandic hár (“hair”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English cheveler, chevelere (“hair”), borrowed from Old French chevelëure (“hair, head-hair, coiffure, wig”). The modern spelling with ai is not a regular representation of the vowel developed from Middle English. Rather, it is from Middle English here (haircloth) influenced by Old French haire.

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