hair

noun, often attributive \ ˈher \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of hair

1 a : 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

3 a : 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

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hairless

adjective

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hairlessness

noun

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hairlike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

— 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

See hair defined for English-language learners

See hair defined for kids

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.

Recent Examples of hair from the Web

Aajae’s mother, Aqueelah Whitehead, had spent nearly $4,000 on the dress, the shoes, makeup, hair, DJ, food, decorations and a photographer, among other expenses.

— cassie owens, Philly.com, "Not your parents' prom: Inside Philly's elaborate send-off culture," 8 June 2018
My hair right now is at that uncomfortable middle stage.

— aidin vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, "Pop Quiz: Comedian Kathy Griffin on her comeback, the C-word and that Trump photo," 6 June 2018
One photograph from the era shows a woman standing in a village as two men forcibly restrain her wrists; a third man grabs a hank of her blonde hair, his scissors poised to hack it away.

— ann mah, Time, "This Picture Tells a Tragic Story of What Happened to Women After D-Day," 6 June 2018
In testimony interrupted by crying, putting his head down for a few moments, and running his hands through his short hair, Zachary Tener, 27, said his mother had sometimes left him alone for one or two days.

— marc freeman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Prosecutors say alleged confession, blood stains point to defendant in missing body murder case," 6 June 2018
Nothing in my life gets that much love and attention — my own hair is lucky if it gets washed twice a week, honestly.

— danielle tullo, House Beautiful, "So, Bad News. You're Not Washing Your Towels Enough and They're Filled with Bacteria," 5 June 2018
Leaves are covered with soft white hairs, and blossoms are white, hence its common name, whitetop.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Know the proper ways to attack all of our plentiful weeds," 1 June 2018
Pele's hair is sharp, thin strands of volcanic glass fibers.

— eliott c. mclaughlin, CNN, "Hawaii's Kilauea volcano: Heed evacuation orders, or you're on your own, mayor says," 30 May 2018
Kershaw begs them to give him grief—for his hair, for his age, for anything.

— stephanie apstein, SI.com, "The Control Pitcher: As Free Agency Looms, Will Clayton Kershaw Win It All in L.A.?," 30 May 2018

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.

Illustration of hair

Origin and Etymology of hair

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

hair Synonyms

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

HAIR Defined for English Language Learners

hair

noun

Definition of hair for English Language Learners

: 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

HAIR Defined for Kids

hair

noun \ ˈher \

Definition of hair for Students

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.

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haired

\ˈherd\ adjective a long-haired dog

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hairless

\ˈher-ləs\ adjective

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hairlike

\-ˌlīk\ adjective

Medical Dictionary

hair

noun, often attributive \ ˈha(ə)r, ˈhe(ə)r \

medical Definition of hair

1 : 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