# Norwood

/ˈnɔɹwʊd/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/norwood
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a funny way to describe a man who is losing his hair. It refers to a scale that doctors use to measure how much hair a man has lost.

For teachers: a reference to the Norwood scale, a classification system used to measure the extent of male pattern baldness. Often used metonymically in casual or internet discourse to describe a receding hairline.

## Examples

- He is worried about his Norwood level.
- The forum users spent hours debating whether the actor had a natural Norwood one or was wearing a hairpiece.
- While the Norwood scale remains the clinical standard for assessing androgenetic alopecia, its terminology has been adopted by online communities to categorise various stages of follicular recession with varying degrees of irony.

## Usage notes

- Often used as a modifier before another noun (e.g., 'Norwood scale') or as a standalone noun in informal contexts.

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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.