hair

hair — noun

1. the thin strands that grow from the skin of people and animals, especially the m

1.nounA1
Definition

the thin strands that grow from the skin of people and animals, especially the mass of these strands on top of a person's head

Example

Leila brushed her long dark hair before going to school.

brush + hair: common grooming collocation

The vet found a few grey hairs on the old dog's muzzle.

countable use: grey hairs = individual strands

Common collocations
  • long hair
  • short hair
  • curly hair
  • straight hair
  • thick hair
  • thin hair
  • dry hair
  • oily hair
  • wash hair
  • cut hair
  • brush hair
  • dye hair
  • lose hair
  • grey hair
  • blonde hair
  • dark hair
  • a strand of hair
  • a lock of hair
Synonyms
  • fur

    used for the soft, dense hair covering many mammals, especially cats, dogs, and bears

  • mane

    long, thick hair on an animal's neck (lion, horse), or informally a person's full head of hair

  • locks

    literary or poetic term for a person's hair, especially when long or attractive

  • strands

    individual pieces of hair, used when counting or describing texture

Antonyms
  • baldness

    the state of having little or no hair on the head

Grammar Patterns

have + [adjective] + hair (uncountable)

wash/brush/cut/dye + hair (uncountable)

find + a + [adjective] + hair (countable — individual strand)

lose + hair (uncountable, gradual process)

Usage Note

When referring to the general mass on a person's head, hair is uncountable (Her hair is very long). When talking about individual strands, it can be countable (I found two grey hairs this morning). Body hair on animals is often called fur when it is soft and dense, but hair is also correct.

Common Mistakes

I need to wash my hairs.
I need to wash my hair.
Use the uncountable form when talking about the whole mass of hair on your head.
She has a long hair.
She has long hair.
Do not use 'a' before uncountable hair. Use 'a' only for one strand: 'She found a long hair in her food.'

2. tiny, thin growths that look like very small hairs on the surface of some plant

2.nounB2
Definition

tiny, thin growths that look like very small hairs on the surface of some plant leaves and stems

Example

The soft hairs on the lamb's ear plant feel like velvet.

plant hair: protective fuzz on leaves

Hana touched the tiny white hairs on the stem of the flower.

Common collocations
  • fine hairs
  • tiny hairs
  • soft hairs
  • white hairs
  • leaf hairs
  • stem hairs
  • covered in hairs
  • hairs on the surface
Synonyms
  • fuzz

    informal term for very fine, short plant hairs

  • down

    fine, soft hairs on young leaves or fruits

  • trichomes

    the technical botanical term for plant hairs; not used in everyday conversation

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] + hairs (on plant parts)

covered in + hairs

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used in the plural (hairs). It is most common in botanical descriptions and when talking about fuzzy fruits or plants. The scientific term for plant hairs is trichomes.

Idioms

let your hair down

idiom

to relax and enjoy yourself freely after a period of being formal or careful about how you behave

After the wedding ceremony, the guests let their hair down and danced until midnight.

Theo finds it hard to let his hair down at office parties because he is shy.

make someone's hair stand on end

idiom

to shock or frighten someone very much, often by telling a scary story or showing something frightening

The horror film made Yara's hair stand on end, so she turned on all the lights.

The sound of footsteps in the empty house made our hair stand on end.

get in someone's hair

idiom

to annoy someone by staying too close, asking too many questions, or interfering with what they are doing

The little boy kept asking questions while his mother worked, and she told him not to get in her hair.

My new roommate is nice, but his loud music really gets in my hair.

not a hair out of place

idiom

looking extremely neat, tidy, and carefully arranged in appearance

The hotel manager always looked perfect with not a hair out of place.

Even after a long flight, Priya stepped off the plane with not a hair out of place.

split hairs

idiom

to argue about very small and unimportant differences in meaning or details

The lawyers spent hours splitting hairs over a single word in the contract.

I do not want to split hairs, but your answer is still not quite correct.

tear your hair out

idiom

to show great worry, anger, or frustration about something that is difficult to deal with

Kofi was tearing his hair out trying to fix the computer before the deadline.

The teacher tore her hair out when half the class forgot to do the homework.

get in somebody’s hair

idiom

To annoy someone by being too close or asking too many questions.

My little brother keeps getting in my hair while I study.

Does the new intern get in your hair with constant questions?

a/the hair of the dog (that bit you)

idiom

An alcoholic drink taken to cure a hangover from the night before.

After the party, Brian had a hair of the dog for breakfast.

Maya swore she would never need a hair of the dog again.

hang by a hair/thread

idiom

To be in a very dangerous or uncertain situation.

The climber's life hung by a thread on the cliff.

Did the company's future hang by a hair after the scandal?

keep your hair on

idiom

Used to tell someone to stay calm and not get angry.

Keep your hair on; the bus will come soon.

When Diego started shouting, Sara said, "Keep your hair on!"

make somebody’s hair stand on end

idiom

To cause someone to feel very frightened or shocked.

That horror movie made my hair stand on end.

Did the ghost story make your hair stand on end too?

not harm/touch a hair of somebody’s head

idiom

To not cause any physical injury to someone at all.

The kidnapper promised not to harm a hair of the child's head.

Aiden assured us he would not touch a hair of the cat's head.

not have a hair out of place

idiom

To look extremely neat and tidy in appearance.

Even after the long flight, Min did not have a hair out of place.

Does the bride ever have a hair out of place on her wedding day?

not see hide nor hair of somebody/something

idiom

To not see or hear from someone or something for a period of time.

I haven't seen hide nor hair of my keys since yesterday.

Have you seen hide nor hair of the new neighbor yet?

not turn a hair

idiom

To show no reaction of surprise or shock when something unexpected happens.

When the car crashed, the driver did not turn a hair.

Did the teacher turn a hair when the student shouted out?

tear your hair (out)

idiom

To show extreme anger, worry, or frustration about something.

Maya was tearing her hair out over the lost report.

Did the broken computer make you tear your hair out?

Word family

  • hairy
    adjectiveA2
  • hairless
    adjectiveB2
  • haired
    adjectiveB1
  • hairiness
    nounC1
  • hairline
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Hair is the general term for the thin strands that grow from human or animal skin. Fur is specifically the dense, soft hair covering mammals like cats, dogs, and bears, and is typically not used for humans. Wool refers to the soft, curly hair of sheep and some other animals, used for making clothing and blankets. Mane describes the long, thick hair growing from the neck of a horse or lion, or informally a person's full head of striking hair. Locks is a more literary or poetic word for human hair, especially when it is long and attractive. For example: 'The dog's fur kept him warm in winter' (not hair, not wool). 'She had beautiful golden locks that fell to her waist' (poetic, locks not fur).

fur ↗wool ↗mane ↗locks

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a head of hair
  • a mop of hair
  • a shock of hair
  • a strand of hair

Prepositions

  • in your hair
  • on your head
  • out of your hair

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

Hair has been part of the English language since Old English times, from the word hǣr. It comes from the ancient Proto-Germanic root *hērą, which also gave rise to Dutch haar, German Haar, and Swedish hår. This root is even older, traceable to the Proto-Indo-European base *gʰēs- meaning 'bristle' or 'mane'. The spelling and pronunciation have stayed remarkably consistent over more than a thousand years of English history.