hair ball

Thân thiện

A cat coughs up a hair ball onto the floor.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A compact mass of hair: A hair ball is a dense, rounded lump composed primarily of hair. It forms internally when hair is ingested and accumulates, rather than passing through the digestive system.
   • A gastrointestinal concretion: Specifically, a hair ball is a type of bezoar that forms in the alimentary canal, most commonly in the stomach of animals that groom themselves by licking their fur.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The cat coughed up a hair ball on the carpet. (This describes the common expulsion of the mass by the animal.)
  • Regular brushing can help prevent the formation of hair balls in long-haired pets. (This describes a preventative action against the condition.)
  • The veterinarian identified the cause of the blockage as a large hair ball. (This describes a medical diagnosis.)

Advanced Usage

• Medical/Veterinary Context: In technical terms, a hair ball is a trichobezoar. This term is used in both veterinary and human medicine to describe a bezoar made of hair.
  • The surgical removal of a trichobezoar was necessary for the patient's recovery.

Variants and Related Words

• Trichobezoar (n): The formal medical term for a hair ball.
• Bezoar (n): A more general term for any tightly packed mass of indigestible material found in the gastrointestinal tract. A hair ball is a specific type of bezoar.
• Fur ball (n): A common informal synonym for "hair ball," especially when referring to pets.

Synonyms

• Fur ball (informal)
• Trichobezoar (formal/medical)

Notes on Meaning

• The term almost exclusively refers to a physical object formed inside an animal (or, rarely, a human). It is not used metaphorically to describe a tangled mess of hair outside the body (e.g., in a hairbrush); for that, terms like "knot," "tangle," or "clump of hair" are used.
• The formation is a natural, though sometimes problematic, result of grooming behavior in animals like cats and rabbits.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a compact mass of hair that forms in the alimentary canal (especially in the stomach of animals as a result of licking fur)

Từ đồng nghĩa

• hairball
• trichobezoar