hair
/ˈheː/
Frequency: 5.08 in modern English
Meaning
noun
A pigmented filament of keratin which grows from a follicle on the skin of humans and other mammals.
Countable
noun
The collection or mass of such growths growing from the skin of humans and animals, and forming a covering for any part or the whole body.
Uncountable
noun
Specifically, the collection of hairs on the top and sides of the human head, growing from the scalp.
Uncountable
noun
A slender outgrowth from the chitinous cuticle of insects, spiders, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. Such hairs are totally unlike those of vertebrates in structure, composition, and mode of growth.
Countable
noun
A cellular outgrowth of the epidermis, consisting of one or of several cells, whether pointed, hooked, knobbed, or stellated.
Countable
noun
Any slender, flexible outgrowth, filament, or fiber growing or projecting from the surface of an object or organism.
Countable
Example Sentences
- "And draweth new delights with hoary hairs."
- "Threading its way out from among his grey hairs, and continuing right down one side of his tawny scorched face and neck, till it disappeared in his clothing, you saw a slender rod-like mark, lividly whitish."
- "In the western world, women usually have long hair while men usually have short hair."
- "Her abundant hair, of a dark and glossy brown, was neatly plaited and coiled above an ivory column that rose straight from a pair of gently sloping shoulders, clearly outlined beneath the light muslin frock that covered them."
- "Internal hairs occur in the flower stalk of the yellow frog lily (Nuphar)."
- "(uncountable, by extension) The collection or mass of such outgrowths, filaments, or fibers growing or projecting from the surface of an object or organism."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈheː/
- British English: /ˈhɛə/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.