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Mohair entered the English language in the 16th century, spelled variously as "mocayare," "mockaire," "mokayre," and "moochary." It was borrowed from Italian mocaiarro, a word which itself was borrowed from Arabic mukhayyar. The adjective mukhayyar meant "select" or "choice." How this Arabic adjective came to be the English noun "mohair" is a bit of a mystery. It is possible that "mukhayyar" was used as a colloquial noun in the sense of "wool of prime quality" (that is, "choice wool"). In English, the shift from "mocayare" and similar spellings to "mohair" was likely influenced by the more familiar English word hair.
Examples of mohair in a Sentence
Toni Sutton, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
To add to the exclusivity, a selection of women’s styles will debut at the pop-up, including day-to-night separates in silks and wools, with brocade and argyle patterns, as well as outerwear in a range of materials ideal for the coming winter months—such as leather, shearling, and mohair.
—Amanda Lauren, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Crochet All Day Crochet is to summer what mohair is to winter—cool, textural, and just a downright vibe.
—Talia Abbas, Vogue, 7 July 2025
The rooms themselves also feature deep tubs and custom details (a John Derian pen pot here, a mohair accent there).
—Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 16 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Mohair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mohair. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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mohair
noun
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