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

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The exhibition will reunite Cobain’s guitar with the equally famous olive-green mohair cardigan, which the singer/guitarist wore during the band’s Nov. 1993 performance on the show, with the two items going on display together for the first time ever. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2025 Szymanski designed the red mohair sofa with horsehair fringe and iron buttons. —Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2025 The new women’s collection included double-face fabrics, a linen, and a mohair and wool fabric, while the designs were inspired by Japanese kimonos, made on a jacquard loom. —Andrea Onate, WWD, 10 Feb. 2025 The cardigan was custom-made with a blend of mohair and wool. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for mohair