1 hair | Definition of hair
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hair

noun, often attributive
\ ˈher How to pronounce hair (audio) \

Definition of hair

1a : a slender threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis of an animal especially : one of the usually pigmented filaments that form the characteristic coat of a mammal
b : the hairy covering of an animal or a body part especially : the coating of hairs on a human head
2 : haircloth
3a : a minute distance or amount won by a hair
b : a precise degree aligned to a hair
4 obsolete : nature, character
5 : a filamentous structure that resembles hair leaf hair
in one's hair
: persistently and annoyingly in one's presence can't work with you in my hair all day
out of one's hair
: out of one's way : not in one's hair keep the children out of his hair for a while

Illustration of hair

Illustration of hair

hair 1a: 1 shaft, 2 sebaceous gland, 3 epidermis, 4 dermis, 5 hair follicle, 6 bulb, 7 papilla

Other Words from hair Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hair

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Other Words from hair

hairless adjective
hairlessness noun
hairlike \ -​ˌlīk How to pronounce hairlike (audio) \ adjective

Examples of hair in a Sentence

He plucked a hair from his arm. There are dog hairs all over my coat. The hair on her arms is blond. He has a lot of hair on his chest. He got his hair cut last week. He has a thick head of hair. a balding man who is losing his hair He won the race by a hair. He was a hair off on the count.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 This summer, more than a dozen parents across Spain noticed unusually high amounts of hair appearing all over their children’s bodies. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Medication Mix-Up Leaves 17 Children Suffering From ‘Werewolf Syndrome’," 31 Aug. 2019 Red squirrels are significantly smaller, with reddish fur and tufts of hair on the tips of their ears. — Michigan Wildlife Council, Detroit Free Press, "How Michigan squirrels boost conservation work across the state," 28 Aug. 2019 The best samples had many kinds of living organisms in them, with masses of dead mould, bits of cellulose, various colored particles, shreds of hair, bristles, etc. — Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Margarine smugglers, a deadly milk war and more flavor Wisconsin's dairy history," 28 Aug. 2019 The influence of the original film’s hair-raising puppets was felt strongly by a young Louis Leterrier back in the 1980s. — Jevon Phillips, Los Angeles Times, "In a CGI-dominated world, Netflix’s ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ chooses puppets over pixels," 27 Aug. 2019 Allred, a cherubic figure with a brushstroke of strawberry blonde hair, has just finished a brainstorm on the topic of automating Lambda’s admissions; a whiteboard behind him holds a sketch of potential pipelines. — Gregory Barber, WIRED, "Lambda School's For-Profit Plan to Solve Student Debt," 26 Aug. 2019 Halloween may still be a ways off, but one pleasingly hair-raising beauty trend seems to be creeping in already. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "Jorja Smith Shows Off 2019’s Most Eye-Catching Beauty Trend," 20 Aug. 2019 An Ohio native with a vertical shock of salt-and-pepper hair, Giridharadas checks all the boxes of the global elite. — Fortune, "An Insider Takes Aim at Corporate America’s ‘Elite Charade’," 20 Aug. 2019 Leading the scare crew is a hair-raising performance from deadmau5, as well as a set from his deeper and darker techno alias TestPilot. — Kat Bein, Billboard, "Deadmau5, Eric Prydz, RL Grime & More to Play Insomniac's Escape: Psycho Circus 2019," 9 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of hair

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for hair

Middle English, from Old English hǣr; akin to Old High German hār hair

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More Definitions for hair

hair

noun
How to pronounce hair (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of hair

: a thin threadlike growth from the skin of a person or animal
: a covering or growth of hairs
: the covering of hairs on a person's head

See the full definition for hair in the English Language Learners Dictionary

hair

noun
\ ˈher How to pronounce hair (audio) \

Kids Definition of hair

1 : a threadlike growth from the skin of a person or animal She pulled out a hair.
2 : a covering or growth of hairs I got my hair cut.
3 : something (as a growth on a leaf) like an animal hair
4 : a very small distance or amount I won by a hair.

Other Words from hair

haired \ ˈherd \ adjective a long-haired dog
hairless \ ˈher-​ləs \ adjective

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