HAIR

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does hair mean? 

• HAIR (noun)
  The noun HAIR has 6 senses:

1. 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

2. a very small distance or space

3. filamentous hairlike growth on a plant

4. any of the cylindrical filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal

5. cloth woven from horsehair or camelhair; used for upholstery or stiffening in garments

6. a filamentous projection or process on an organism

  Familiarity information: HAIR used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HAIR (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Context example:

each hair consists of layers of dead keratinized cells

Hypernyms ("hair" is a kind of...):

body covering (any covering for the body or a body part)

Meronyms (parts of "hair"):

hairline (the natural margin formed by hair on the head)

part; parting (a line of scalp that can be seen when sections of hair are combed in opposite directions)

root (the embedded part of a bodily structure such as a tooth, nail, or hair)

Meronyms (substance of "hair"):

ceratin; keratin (a fibrous scleroprotein that occurs in the outer layer of the skin and in horny tissues such as hair, feathers, nails, and hooves)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hair"):

down; pile (fine soft dense hair (as the fine short hair of cattle or deer or the wool of sheep or the undercoat of certain dogs))

cilium; eyelash; lash (any of the short curved hairs that grow from the edges of the eyelids)

brow; eyebrow; supercilium (the arch of hair above each eye)

bush; crotch hair; pubic hair (hair growing in the pubic area)

facial hair (hair on the face (especially on the face of a man))

curl; lock; ringlet; whorl (a strand or cluster of hair)

coif; coiffure; hair style; hairdo; hairstyle (the arrangement of the hair (especially a woman's hair))

cowlick (a tuft of hair that grows in a different direction from the rest of the hair and usually will not lie flat)

head of hair; mane (growth of hair covering the scalp of a human being)

body hair (short hair growing over a person's body)

beard (hairy growth on or near the face of certain mammals)

forelock; foretop (a lock of a horse's mane that grows forward between the ears)

mane (long coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal's neck)

guard hair (coarse hairs that form the outer fur and protect the underfur of certain mammals)

coat; pelage (growth of hair or wool or fur covering the body of an animal)

Holonyms ("hair" is a part of...):

integumentary system (the skin and its appendages)

Derivation:

hairy (having or covered with hair)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A very small distance or space

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

hair; hair's-breadth; hairsbreadth; whisker

Context example:

they lost the election by a whisker

Hypernyms ("hair" is a kind of...):

small indefinite amount; small indefinite quantity (an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Filamentous hairlike growth on a plant

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

fuzz; hair; tomentum

Context example:

peach fuzz

Hypernyms ("hair" is a kind of...):

enation; plant process (a natural projection or outgrowth from a plant body or organ)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hair"):

stinging hair (a multicellular hair in plants like the stinging nettle that expels an irritating fluid)

beard (a tuft or growth of hairs or bristles on certain plants such as iris or grasses)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Any of the cylindrical filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

hair; pilus

Context example:

there is a hair in my soup

Hypernyms ("hair" is a kind of...):

filament; filum (a threadlike structure (as a chainlike series of cells))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hair"):

ingrown hair (a hair that does not emerge from the follicle but remains embedded in the skin (usually causing inflammation))

Holonyms ("hair" is a part of...):

mammal; mammalian (any warm-blooded vertebrate having the skin more or less covered with hair; young are born alive except for the small subclass of monotremes and nourished with milk)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cloth woven from horsehair or camelhair; used for upholstery or stiffening in garments

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

hair; haircloth

Hypernyms ("hair" is a kind of...):

cloth; fabric; material; textile (artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A filamentous projection or process on an organism

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("hair" is a kind of...):

appendage; outgrowth; process (a natural prolongation or projection from a part of an organism either animal or plant)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hair"):

sensory hair; vibrissa; whisker (a long stiff hair growing from the snout or brow of most mammals as e.g. a cat)

seta (a stiff hair or bristle)

pilus (hairlike structure especially on the surface of a cell or microorganism)

bristle (a stiff hair)

Derivation:

hairy (having or covered with hair)

 Context examples 

Small, stout-built, very quick in his ways, no hair on his face, though he’s not short of thirty.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The man turned white to the roots of his hair.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He was an old man then, and his hair was white; but he was unafraid.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

The sight of her dear wet cheeks, her flying hair, and her brave brown eyes convinced me that my vision was still healthy.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“That beast has not a white hair upon its body. What is this that you have done, Mr. Holmes?”

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was no hair upon this head, but it had eyes and a nose and mouth, and was much bigger than the head of the biggest giant.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

“You need not concern yourself about that,” answered the tailor, “they have not bent one hair of mine.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Talk with your salon stylist about suggesting a new look for your hair.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

His visage was meagre, his hair lank and thin, and his voice hollow.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The hand caressing his hair paused perceptibly, then went on with the same gentle stroke.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)