hair

noun

often attributive
1
a
: a slender threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis of an animal
especially : one of the usually pigmented filaments that form the characteristic coat of a mammal
b
: the hairy covering of an animal or a body part
especially : the coating of hairs on a human head
2
3
a
: a minute distance or amount
won by a hair
b
: a precise degree
aligned to a hair
4
obsolete : nature, character
5
: a filamentous structure that resembles hair
leaf hair
hairless adjective
hairlessness noun
hairlike adjective

Illustration of hair

Illustration of hair
  • 1 shaft
  • 2 sebaceous gland
  • 3 epidermis
  • 4 dermis
  • 5 hair follicle
  • 6 bulb
  • 7 papilla
Phrases
in one's hair
: persistently and annoyingly in one's presence
can't work with you in my hair all day
out of one's hair
: out of one's way : not in one's hair
keep the children out of his hair for a while

Examples of hair in a Sentence

He plucked a hair from his arm. There are dog hairs all over my coat. The hair on her arms is blond. He has a lot of hair on his chest. He got his hair cut last week. He has a thick head of hair. a balding man who is losing his hair He won the race by a hair. He was a hair off on the count.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Related Video Madison Bailey Only Uses Highlighter in One Place While much of Roan’s glam (namely, her hair and makeup) stayed the same, certain small details look her from haunted to hill country, like the tiny gingham bows that now adorned her locks. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2024 The face that confronted him was haggard and gaunt, its hair and beard unkempt. Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024 In Oregon, Portland Police Agency spokesperson Mike Benner said the suspect is believed to be a white male 30 to 40 years old with short hair or balding, a thin-to-medium build and thin face. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024 Stylist Dusty Schlabach in Los Angeles, who specializes in curly and coily hair textures, is often faced with the task of fixing haircuts done elsewhere that weren’t up to par with standard curl-cutting techniques. Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hair 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English hǣr; akin to Old High German hār hair

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hair was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hair

Cite this Entry

“Hair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hair

noun
ˈha(ə)r How to pronounce hair (audio)
ˈhe(ə)r
1
a
: a slender threadlike growth from the skin of an animal
especially : one that usually contains coloring and forms part of the characteristic coat of a mammal
b
: a covering or growth of hairs of an animal or a body part
2
: a tiny distance or amount
won by a hair
3
: a threadlike structure that resembles hair
leaf hairs
haired
ˈha(ə)rd
ˈhe(ə)rd
adjective
hairless
ˈha(ə)r-ləs
ˈhe(ə)r-
adjective
hairlike adjective

Medical Definition

often attributive
1
: a slender threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis of an animal
especially : one of the usually pigmented filaments that form the characteristic coat of a mammal
2
: the hairy covering of an animal or a body part
especially : the coating of hairs on a human head
hairlike adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hair

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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