Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

vibrissa

/vɪˈbɹɪsə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: vib-ris-sa
IPA: /vɪˈbɹɪsə/

13

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of the tactile whiskers on the nose of an animal such as a cat.

noun

Any similar feather near the mouth of some birds.

noun

A thick hair found inside the nostrils of humans and other mammals.

Example Sentences

"There are also long hairs inside each ear and sometimes on its tip, and about a dozen very long and strong hairs—the whiskers or vibrissæ— are placed on each upper lip."
"The vibrissae are coarse hairs whose follicles are located just within the nasal meatus. […] Vibrissae are present in most mammals, but their innervation and role in sensory function appears to be less pronounced in humans."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vibrissae.

Inflected Forms

vibrissae (plural)

Derived Forms

macrovibrissa microvibrissa multivibrissa vibrissal vibrissectomy

Synonyms

nose hair whisker sensory hair

Questions

How do you pronounce vibrissa?: The recorded pronunciation is /vɪˈbɹɪsə/.
What does vibrissa mean?: Any of the tactile whiskers on the nose of an animal such as a cat.
Where does vibrissa come from?: Borrowed from Latin vibrissae.

How to pronounce vibrissa

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “vibrissa”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/vɪˈbɹɪsə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “vibrissa” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.