sideburns
- Noun (plural only):
- Facial hair: "sideburns" refer to the strips of hair grown on the sides of a man's face, extending from the hairline down the cheeks, often in front of the ears. They are typically longer than ordinary side hair and may connect to a beard or mustache.
- Stylistic feature: "sideburns" can also denote a specific hairstyle where the hair on the sides of the face is left longer than the rest, sometimes styled as distinct patches.
- (He grew hair on the sides of his face for a retro style.)
- (The prominent facial hair on his cheeks was his distinguishing feature.)
"to have sideburns": to possess facial hair on the sides of the face.
- The musician is known for his long sideburns that reach his jawline. (His facial hair on the cheeks extends downward.)
"to trim one's sideburns": to cut or shape the side hair to a desired length.
- He carefully trimmed his sideburns to keep them neat. (He shortened the hair on his cheeks for tidiness.)
"sideburns as a fashion statement": using sideburns intentionally to reflect a certain era or personal style.
- In the 1800s, thick sideburns were a common fashion statement among gentlemen. (Long side hair was a popular style.)
Sideburn (noun, singular): a single strip of hair on one side of the face.
- His left sideburn was longer than the right. (One strip of facial hair.)
Side-whiskers (noun, plural): an older term for sideburns, referring to hair growing on the cheeks.
- The portrait showed a man with prominent side-whiskers. (Facial hair on the cheeks.)
Mutton chops (noun, plural): a style of sideburns that are thick and extend down to the jaw, often without a connecting mustache.
- He sported mutton chops in the classic Victorian style. (Thick, long sideburns.)
- Facial hair: hair growing on the face, especially on the cheeks and chin.
- Whiskers: hair on a man's face, especially on the cheeks; can be a synonym for sideburns in historical contexts.
- Chops: informal term for the fleshy part of the cheeks, sometimes used to refer to sideburns.
"to be sideburned": an informal expression meaning to have sideburns, often used in descriptions.
- The sideburned gentleman tipped his hat. (The man with sideburns greeted politely.)
"sideburn envy": a humorous phrase indicating admiration for another person's well-groomed sideburns.
- He had sideburn envy when he saw his friend's perfect facial hair. (He envied the other's sideburns.)
- Etymology: The word "sideburns" is derived from the name of Union General Ambrose Burnside, known for his distinctive facial hair style connecting his sideburns with a mustache, leaving the chin clean-shaven. Over time, "burnsides" became "sideburns."