Definition

1. Noun:
   • A filament growing from the skin of mammals: A slender, thread-like structure composed primarily of keratin, forming the characteristic covering on the body and head of humans and other animals.
   • A mass of such filaments: The aggregate of these threads, especially on a person's head.
   • A very small distance or margin: An extremely narrow interval or degree of difference.
   • A filament-like growth on a plant: A fine, hair-like projection on the surface of a plant or leaf.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Filament):
  • She found a single gray hair on her jacket.
  • The cat's fur is made of very fine hairs.
• Noun (Mass of filaments):
  • He has thick, curly hair.
  • She is washing her hair.
• Noun (Small distance):
  • The bullet missed him by a hair.
  • The race was won by a hair's breadth.
• Noun (Plant growth):
  • The stem of the plant is covered in tiny hairs.

Advanced Usage

• "to let one's hair down": to relax and behave informally.
  • After the exams, we can finally let our hair down.
• "to split hairs": to make overly fine distinctions; to argue about trivial details.
  • We're just splitting hairs; the two proposals are essentially the same.
• "a hair's breadth": a very small distance or amount.
  • The car missed the pedestrian by a hair's breadth.
• "to get in someone's hair": to annoy or bother someone.
  • The kids have been getting in my hair all morning.

Variants and Related Words

• Hairy (adj): Covered with hair; resembling hair.
  • He has very hairy arms.
• Hairless (adj): Having no hair; bald.
  • A hairless cat is a unique pet.
• Hairlike (adj): Resembling a hair; very thin and fine.
  • The hairlike structures on the insect's leg.

Synonyms

• Fur: The thick hair covering the body of many animals.
• Wool: The soft, curly hair from sheep.
• Strand: A single thin length of hair, thread, or similar material.
• Whisker: A long, stiff hair growing near the mouth of an animal.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Hair does not typically form standard phrasal verbs. The idiomatic expressions listed above function as fixed phrases.

Related Idioms

• "to make someone's hair stand on end": to terrify or horrify someone.
  • The ghost story made our hair stand on end.
• "to tear one's hair out": to be extremely anxious, frustrated, or worried.
  • I've been tearing my hair out trying to fix this computer.
• "not to turn a hair": to remain completely calm and unruffled.
  • She didn't turn a hair when they told her the shocking news.
• "the hair of the dog (that bit you)": an alcoholic drink taken to cure a hangover, from the idea of using a similar method to treat the cause.
  • After last night's party, he thinks he needs some hair of the dog.

Noun

1. a filamentous projection or process on an organism
2. cloth woven from horsehair or camelhair; used for upholstery or stiffening in garments
3. any of the cylindrical filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal
   • there is a hair in my soup
4. filamentous hairlike growth on a plant
   • peach fuzz
5. a very small distance or space
   • they escaped by a hair's-breadth
   • they lost the election by a whisker
6. a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
   • he combed his hair
   • each hair consists of layers of dead keratinized cells