1 vibrissa | Definition of vibrissa
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

vibrissa

noun
vi·​bris·​sa | \ vÄ«-ˈbri-sÉ™ How to pronounce vibrissa (audio) , vÉ™-\
plural vibrissae\ vÄ«-​ˈbri-​(ËŒ)sÄ“ How to pronounce vibrissae (audio) ; vÉ™-​ˈbri-​(ËŒ)sÄ“ , -​ËŒsÄ« \

Definition of vibrissa

1a : any of the stiff hairs that are located on the face and especially about the snout of many mammals and typically serve as tactile organs also : a similar stiff tactile hair growing elsewhere on some mammals (as in a small tuft at the wrist)
b : any of the coarse hairs growing within the nostrils of humans that serve to impede the inhalation of particulate matter
2 : one of the bristly feathers near the mouth of many and especially insectivorous birds that may help to prevent the escape of insects
Other Words from vibrissa Did You Know? Learn More about vibrissa

Keep scrolling for more

Did You Know?

The whiskers of a cat qualify as vibrissae (that’s the plural of vibrissa), as do the hairlike feathers around the bill of some birds - especially the insect-feeding kind. And when scientists first used vibrissa in the late 17th century, they used the word to refer specifically to the hairs inside the human nostril. Science got this word, as it has many others, from Latin. Vibrissa comes from vibrare, which means all of the following: "to brandish," "to wave," "to rock," and "to propel suddenly." Other vibrare descendents in English include vibrate, vibrato, and veer.

First Known Use of vibrissa

circa 1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for vibrissa

Medieval Latin, from Latin vibrare

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for vibrissa

vibrissa

noun
vi·​bris·​sa | \ vÄ«-ˈbris-É™, vÉ™- How to pronounce vibrissa (audio) \
plural vibrissae\ vÄ«-​ˈbris-​(ËŒ)Ä“; vÉ™-​ˈbris-​(ËŒ)Ä“ How to pronounce vibrissae (audio) , -​Ä« How to pronounce vibrissae (audio) \

Medical Definition of vibrissa

1 : any of the stiff hairs that are located on the face and especially about the snout of many mammals and typically serve as tactile organs
2 : any of the coarse hairs growing within the nostrils of humans that serve to impede the inhalation of particulate matter

Other Words from vibrissa

vibrissal \ -​É™l How to pronounce vibrissal (audio) \ adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on vibrissa

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with vibrissa

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!