Word
hair
US/ˈhɛɹ/
UK/hˈeə/
Definitions
01on the head
n. the mass of thin strands growing on your head.
n. the collective growth of pigmented keratinous filaments on the human scalp. Uncountable in this general sense.
“She decided to cut her hair short for the summer.”
“The stylist recommended a specific treatment to restore shine to her hair after years of chemical dyeing.”
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'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02a single strand
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.”
03animal fur
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.”
04a tiny distance
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.”
Informal
05plant/insect fibers
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.”
Technical
Synonyms
06to remove hair
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.”
Technical
Synonyms
Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Idioms
bad hair day — A day when things seem to be unmanageable or go wrong.
barnet — hair
curl someone's hair — To frighten, dismay, or excite someone thoroughly.
get grey hair from — To acquire great frustration, confusion, or anxiousness from (something or someone).
get out of someone's hair — To manipulate somebody into quit pestering somebody else.
give someone grey hair — To give someone great frustration, confusion, or anxiousness.
hair of the dog — An alcoholic drink, particularly when taken the morning after to cure a hangover.
hair out of place — The slightest sign of disorder or unkemptness.
hair's breadth — A very small amount or distance.
hat hair — An accidental messy hairdo resulting from the wearing of a hat.
Show all 21
have someone by the short hairs — To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.
helmet hair — An accidental messy hairdo resulting from the wearing of a helmet.
hide nor hair — A trace, indication, or evidence, especially of a person.
keep one's hair on — To stay calm; to be patient; to calm down.
let one's hair down — To relax and enjoy oneself.
put hair on someone's chest — To make a person (especially a male) stronger or more masculine or mature.
set one's hair on fire — To become wildly impassioned; to behave crazily.
short hairs — Pubic hair.
split hairs — Tedious details; minutiae.
tear one's hair out — To react with extreme agitation.
turn a hair — To show fear, alarm or distress; to be affected (by an experience or situation).
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hair