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Mohair entered the English language in the 16th century, spelled variously as "mocayare," "mockaire," "mokayre," and "moochary." It was borrowed from Italian mocaiarro, a word which itself was borrowed from Arabic mukhayyar. The adjective mukhayyar meant "select" or "choice." How this Arabic adjective came to be the English noun "mohair" is a bit of a mystery. It is possible that "mukhayyar" was used as a colloquial noun in the sense of "wool of prime quality" (that is, "choice wool"). In English, the shift from "mocayare" and similar spellings to "mohair" was likely influenced by the more familiar English word hair.
Examples of mohair in a Sentence
Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 16 June 2025
Anyone can book a one-on-one appointment with any object, from a Vivienne Westwood mohair sweater to a tiny Japanese netsuke figurine.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
Wearing a tuxedo dress with tribal mohair and a black satin label, Starr turned heads on the blue carpet with a deep v-neck, high leg slit, and open back.
—Ruth Etiesit Samuel, Essence, 7 May 2025
Loewe Anagram appliquéd wool-jacquard throw, $1,700 The Artful Pattern: Ferm Living Mirage blanket, $180
The Lightweight Linen: Lulu and Georgia Ambar throw, $110
Merino, alpaca, cotton, mohair, linen, throw, bed blanket, fringe, no fringe—you’ve got some decisions to make.
—Erika Owen, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mohair
Cite this Entry
“Mohair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mohair. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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mohair
noun
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