Word
hairdresser
Phoneticshair·dress·er, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhɛɹˌdɹɛsɝ/
UK/hˈeədɹɛsɐ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a person whose job is to cut, wash, and style people's hair. You usually visit them at a shop called a salon.
n. a professional whose occupation involves cutting, colouring, and styling hair to improve or maintain a client's appearance.
Examples
“I need to book an appointment with my hairdresser for a trim.”
“After years of working for a large salon, she decided to open her own business as a mobile hairdresser.”
“A skilled hairdresser must possess both the technical proficiency to execute complex cuts and the interpersonal skills to interpret a client's often vague aesthetic desires.”
Examples
simple
“I need to book an appointment with my hairdresser for a trim.”
contextual
“After years of working for a large salon, she decided to open her own business as a mobile hairdresser.”
complex
“A skilled hairdresser must possess both the technical proficiency to execute complex cuts and the interpersonal skills to interpret a client's often vague aesthetic desires.”
Usage
Commonly used to refer to both the individual professional and, metonymically, the salon itself ('at the hairdresser').
Pitfall
I am going to the hair dresser
I am going to the hairdresser
In modern English, 'hairdresser' is written as a single compound word without a space.
Etymology
From hair + dress + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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