hɛə n. 1 a
any of
the fine threadlike strands growing
from the
skin of mammals,
esp. from the
human head. b
these collectively (his hair is falling out). 2 a an artificially produced hairlike strand, e.g. in a
brush. b a mass of
such hairs. 3
anything resembling a hair. 4 an elongated
cell growing from the
epidermis of a
plant. 5 a
very small quantity or
extent (also attrib.: a hair crack). øget in a person's hair colloq.
encumber or
annoy a
person. hair-drier (or -dryer) an
electrical device for drying the hair by blowing
warm air over it. hair-grass any of
various grasses, esp. of the
genus Deschampsia, Corynephous, Aira,
etc.,
with slender stems. hair of the
dog see DOG. hair-raising extremely
alarming; terrifying. hair's
breadth a very small
amount or
margin. hair
shirt a shirt of
haircloth,
worn formerly by penitents
and ascetics. hair-shirt adj. (attrib.)
austere,
harsh, self-sacrificing. hair-slide
Brit. a (usu. ornamental) clip for
keeping the hair in
position. hair-splitter a quibbler. hair-splitting adj. & n.
making overfine distinctions; quibbling. hair-trigger a
trigger of a
firearm set for
release at the slightest
pressure.
keep one's hair on Brit. colloq.
remain calm;
not get angry. let one's hair down colloq.
abandon restraint;
behave freely or wildly.
make one's hair
stand on
end alarm or
horrify one. not
turn a hair remain apparently
unmoved or
unaffected. øøhaired adj. (also in comb.). hairless adj. hairlike adj. [OE hór f. Gmc]
