hair

noun

ˈher How to pronounce hair (audio)
Synonyms of hairnext
often attributive
1
a
: a slender threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis of an animal
especially : one of the usually pigmented filaments that form the characteristic coat of a mammal
b
: the hairy covering of an animal or a body part
especially : the coating of hairs on a human head
2
: haircloth
3
a
: a minute distance or amount
won by a hair
b
: a precise degree
aligned to a hair
4
obsolete : nature, character
5
: a filamentous structure that resembles hair
leaf hair
hairless adjective
hairlessness noun
hairlike
ˈher-ˌlīk How to pronounce hair (audio)
adjective
see also:
in one's hair out of one's hair

Illustration of hair

Illustration of hair
  • 1 shaft
  • 2 sebaceous gland
  • 3 epidermis
  • 4 dermis
  • 5 hair follicle
  • 6 bulb
  • 7 papilla

Synonyms of hair

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Examples of hair in a Sentence

He plucked a hair from his arm. There are dog hairs all over my coat. The hair on her arms is blond. He has a lot of hair on his chest. He got his hair cut last week. He has a thick head of hair. a balding man who is losing his hair He won the race by a hair. He was a hair off on the count.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Luke Della Valle, an 18-year-old from Westport, Connecticut, earns $18 an hour at kid’s hair salon Sharkey’s sweeping the floors and helping out hairstylists. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026 Investigators later observed that the employee had bruising, facial scratches and a substantial area of hair forcibly pulled from her scalp. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026 Carlos Evelio Jimenez-Alvarez Brooklyn Park Police Police say Jimenez-Alvarez stands 5 feet 1 inches tall, weighs about 165 lbs, and has gray hair and brown eyes. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 Hair department head Andrea Mona Bowman also spent months in testing to get Zélie’s hair right. — Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hair

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English hǣr; akin to Old High German hār hair

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hair was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing hair

Rhymes for hair

See All Rhymes for hair

Browse Nearby Words

Haiphong
hair
hair's breadth
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hair

noun
ˈha(ə)r How to pronounce hair (audio)
ˈhe(ə)r
1
a
: a slender threadlike growth from the skin of an animal
especially : one that usually contains coloring and forms part of the characteristic coat of a mammal
b
: a covering or growth of hairs of an animal or a body part
2
: a tiny distance or amount
won by a hair
3
: a threadlike structure that resembles hair
leaf hairs
haired
ˈha(ə)rd, 
ˈhe(ə)rd
adjective
hairless
ˈha(ə)r-ləs, 
ˈhe(ə)r-
adjective
hairlike
-ˌlīk How to pronounce hair (audio)
adjective

Medical Definition

hair

noun
ˈha(ə)r, ˈhe(ə)r How to pronounce hair (audio)
often attributive
1
: a slender threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis of an animal
especially : one of the usually pigmented filaments that form the characteristic coat of a mammal
2
: the hairy covering of an animal or a body part
especially : the coating of hairs on a human head
hairlike
-ˌlīk How to pronounce hair (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hair

Nglish: Translation of hair for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hair

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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