mohair

noun

mo·​hair ˈmō-ˌher 

: a fabric or yarn made wholly or in part of the long silky hair of the Angora goat

also : this hair

Did you know?

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

a sweater made of mohair and silk

Recent Examples on the Web

The carpets are woven from cashmere and mohair; the bedroom walls are wrapped in Loro Piana linen; the drapery is wool, linen, and cashmere, and the living room sofa is upholstered in mohair. — Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2026

Elsewhere are uniforms and one-of-a-kind cashmere, mohair, and silk pieces alongside simple white T-shirts and sweaters. — Chiara Barzini, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2026

Pushed to the sides of the room, there’s plenty of space to dance on the gold mohair rug. — Genevieve Walker, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2026

All virgin wool and mohair used in our products come from farms certified by the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and the Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS). — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

modification of obsolete Italian mocaiarro, from Arabic mukhayyar, literally, choice

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mohair

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

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Kids Definition

mohair

noun

mo·​hair ˈmō-ˌha(ə)r 

-ˌhe(ə)r

: a fabric or yarn made of or with the long silky hair of the Angora goat

also : the hair of the Angora goat