hair

noun

Synonyms of hairnext
often attributive
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
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
hairless adjective
hairlessness noun
hairlike adjective

Illustration of hair

Illustration of hair
  • 1 shaft
  • 2 sebaceous gland
  • 3 epidermis
  • 4 dermis
  • 5 hair follicle
  • 6 bulb
  • 7 papilla

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The hair loss from GLP-1s is one of the most significant side effects that the beauty industry is watching, according to Audrey Depraeter-Montacel, Accenture's global beauty industry lead. Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 2 May 2026 My guide in East Palestine was Kenny, a friend of JK’s and the proprietor of Styles by Kenneth, a hair salon. Mary Norris, New Yorker, 1 May 2026 Investigators said the argument escalated into a physical fight when the female suspect began swinging and striking the victim in the chest and head and then pulling her hair. Alexa Ashwell, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2026 Perrin’s contributions go beyond his bus-driving heroics A slender young man with a mop of curly brown hair, Perrin is a math whiz who graduated high school in Arcata at 16 and has been working at Kneeland Elementary ever since. Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hair

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hair was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

hair

noun
ˈha(ə)r How to pronounce hair (audio)
ˈhe(ə)r
1
a
: a slender threadlike growth from the skin of an animal
especially : one that usually contains coloring and forms part of the characteristic coat of a mammal
b
: a covering or growth of hairs of an animal or a body part
2
: a tiny distance or amount
won by a hair
3
: a threadlike structure that resembles hair
leaf hairs
haired
ˈha(ə)rd
ˈhe(ə)rd
adjective
hairless
ˈha(ə)r-ləs
ˈhe(ə)r-
adjective
hairlike adjective

Medical Definition

often attributive
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
2
: the hairy covering of an animal or a body part
especially : the coating of hairs on a human head
hairlike adjective

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