hair

play

noun, often attributive \ ˈher \

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

The suspect, described as a white male with short hair and wearing a white T-shirt, was identified by police and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

— terrie peret, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Southwest Police Report: Woman arrested on cocaine and heroin charges," 30 Aug. 2017
Watching five of them (one man, four women, one with fair hair dance Bharatanatyam with marvelous verve was to reflect further on the sociology of the Indian diaspora.

— alastair macaulay, New York Times, "Traditional Indian Dance, With Room for New Blood," 29 Aug. 2017
Brandon Maurer is 6 feet 5 with long flowing hair and a fastball that averages 96.5 mph.

— rustin dodd, kansascity, "Royals’ Brandon Maurer has dominant stuff. He’s still looking for results to match," 25 Aug. 2017
The child is described by the medical examiner's office as a black girl between the ages of 9 months and 2 years with black hair and pierced ears.

— grace wong, Daily Southtown, "Officials still seek ID of girl found dead in fire-damaged abandoned house in Markham," 24 Aug. 2017
Lance just came from the gym, and her brown, shoulder-length hair is thrown up in an elastic.

— evan lubofsky, Smithsonian, "One Scientist May Have Finally Figured Out the Mystery of Why a Civil War Submarine Sank," 23 Aug. 2017
Nora Harris is a small woman with graying brown hair and dark, confused eyes.

— jonel aleccia, Kaiser Health News, "Despite Advance Directive, Dementia Patient Denied Last Wish, Says Spouse," 21 Aug. 2017
Are there not ways to create a helmet with hair protecting the stunt driver?

— yohana desta, vanityfair.com, "Stunt Community Says Deadpool 2 Tragedy “Absolutely Could Have Been Prevented”," 17 Aug. 2017
Get doll hair-styling tips and accessories, photo opps and a goody bag from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at American Girl Miami, 8888 SW 136th St., Miami.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "Kids events this weekend: Eclipse parties, back to school programs," 16 Aug. 2017

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

See Words from the same year

hair Synonyms

Synonyms

ace, hairbreadth (or hairsbreadth), hairline, hop, skip, and jump, inch, neck, shouting distance, step, stone's throw

Antonyms

country mile, long haul, mile

Related Words

bit, crumb, dab, iota, jot, minim, mite, particle, smidgen (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), trace, trifle

Near Antonyms

infinity, light-year

Other Anatomy Terms

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

HAIR Defined for English Language Learners

hair

play

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

play

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

play

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