# hairdresser

/ˈhɛɹˌdɹɛsɝ/ (US) · /hˈeədɹɛsɐ/ (UK) · CEFR A2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hairdresser
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

a person whose job is to cut, wash, and style people's hair. You usually visit them at a shop called a salon.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I am going to the hair dresser" but "I am going to the hairdresser" — In modern English, 'hairdresser' is written as a single compound word without a space.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used to refer to both the individual professional and, metonymically, the salon itself ('at the hairdresser').

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.