hairline

noun

hair·​line ˈher-ˈlīn 

1

: a very slender line: such as

a

: a tiny line or crack on a surface

a hairline bone fracture

b

: a fine line connecting thicker strokes in a printed letter

2

: hairbreadth

3

a

: a textile design consisting of lengthwise or crosswise lines usually one thread wide

b

: a fabric with such a design

4

a

: the outline of scalp hair especially on the forehead

b

: the way the hair frames the face

hairline adjective

Synonyms

• ace
• hair
• hairbreadth
• hairsbreadth
• hop, skip, and jump
• inch
• neck
• shouting distance
• step
• stone's throw

Examples of hairline in a Sentence

The plate had a hairline running across it.

He has a receding hairline.

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, the shock of Oct. 7 has produced a crack, if only of hairline proportions, in the historically steadfast refusal of the ultra-Orthodox to consider military service in any form. —Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 25 June 2024

But even in 2021, Bader struggled to stay healthy, missing time with a strained right forearm and a hairline fracture of his rib. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2024

Photographs of the writer, from the ’70s and ’80s, in the prime of Sante’s punk-flâneur cool, vibe a kind of reticent disdain — receding hairline, sunglasses, Gauloises-smoking, never, ever smiling. —Carl Swanson, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024

For her hair, the singer slicked her cropped dark tresses into a small bun, leaving a few pieces of choppy fringe exposed along her hairline. —Elizabeth Grace Coyne, WWD, 28 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hairline

noun

hair·​line ˈha(ə)r-ˌlīn 

ˈhe(ə)r-

1

a

: a very slender line

b

: a very thin crack on a surface

a hairline bone fracture

2

: the outline of the hair on the head and especially on the forehead

hairline adjective

Medical Definition

hairline

noun

hair·​line -ˈlīn 

: the outline of scalp hair especially on the forehead

hairline adjective