horsehair

noun

horse·​hair ˈhȯrs-ˌher How to pronounce horsehair (audio)
1
: the hair of a horse especially from the mane or tail
2
: cloth made from horsehair

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Most manufacturers recommend cleaning off the grates with a nylon or horsehair brush. Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 21 Apr. 2023 While most baskets have long been made from strong, fibrous materials, such as wood splints, runners, and cane, other materials such as horsehair, or metal wire can be used. Town & Country, 18 Apr. 2023 With deep smile lines, a long horsehair beard and bushy pompom eyebrows, another mask honors the form of Okina, a spirit who appears as an old man. Hannah Kirshner Bon Duke, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2023 With the help of an interpreter, Nikola Vujnović, Parry would go from village to village and inquire at the tavern about the best local guslar—a bard who accompanied his recitation with a gusle, a single-stringed instrument made of maple wood, horsehair, and sheep or rabbit skin. Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 7 June 2021 On a recent visit, diners were offered buri (Japanese amberjack), ankimo (monkfish liver), kegani (horsehair crab), shirako (cod milt), and sayori (Japanese halfbeak). William Li, Town & Country, 20 Mar. 2023 Even so, all this restraint yields a stealth countercultural artifact designed to receive the energy produced by the passage of air from a player’s lungs through a tube, the vibration of horsehair on string, the impact of felt on steel and skin. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2022 From horsehair plaster to hand-hewn beams, much of the building's early design remains. Minnah Arshad, Detroit Free Press, 27 Mar. 2021 Think Rick Owens furniture in the lobby, custom artwork in each room, and horsehair sconces in a nod to the Greek god Apollo, who was said to have kept his horses in the area. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 2 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'horsehair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of horsehair was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near horsehair

Cite this Entry

“Horsehair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horsehair. Accessed 5 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

horsehair

noun
horse·​hair -ˌha(ə)r How to pronounce horsehair (audio)
-ˌhe(ə)r
1
: hair of a horse especially from the mane or tail
2
: cloth made from horsehair
horsehair adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on horsehair

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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