hair

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English her, heer, hær, from Old English hǣr, from Proto-West Germanic *hār, from Proto-Germanic *hērą (“hair”), from Proto-Indo-European *kes- (“to scrape, comb”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hier, Híer (“hair”), West Frisian hier (“hair”), Cimbrian haar, har (“hair”), Dutch haar (“hair”), German and Low German Haar (“hair”), Luxembourgish Hoer (“hair”), Mòcheno hor (“hair”), Yiddish האָר (hor, “hair”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish hår (“hair”), Faroese and Icelandic hár (“hair”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English cheveler, chevelere (“hair”), borrowed from Old French chevelëure (“hair, head-hair, coiffure, wig”). The modern spelling with ai is not a regular representation of the vowel developed from Middle English. Rather, it is from Middle English here (haircloth) influenced by Old French haire. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) enPR: hâr, IPA(key): /hɛə/ (US, Canada, Ireland) IPA(key): /hɛ(ə)ɹ/, [hɛɚ] (General Australian) IPA(key): /heː/ (Victoria) IPA(key): /hɛːə/ (New Zealand, without the cheer–chair merger) IPA(key): /heə/ (New Zealand, cheer–chair merger) IPA(key): /hiə/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /heɹ/ (Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /hɜː(ɹ)/ Homophones: hare; air, heir (h-dropping); here (cheer–chair merger); her (fair–fur merger) Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ) === Noun === hair (countable and uncountable, plural hairs) (but usually in singular) (countable) A pigmented filament of keratin which grows from a follicle on the skin of humans and other mammals. (uncountable) The collection or mass of such growths growing from the skin of humans and animals, and forming a covering for any part or the whole body. (uncountable) Specifically, the collection of hairs on the top and sides of the human head, growing from the scalp. Synonyms: thatch, mop (zoology, countable) A slender outgrowth from the chitinous cuticle of insects, spiders, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. Such hairs are totally unlike those of vertebrates in structure, composition, and mode of growth. (botany, countable) A cellular outgrowth of the epidermis, consisting of one or of several cells, whether pointed, hooked, knobbed, or stellated. (countable) Any slender, flexible outgrowth, filament, or fiber growing or projecting from the surface of an object or organism. (uncountable, by extension) The collection or mass of such outgrowths, filaments, or fibers growing or projecting from the surface of an object or organism. (countable, engineering, firearms) A locking spring or other safety device in the lock of a rifle, etc., capable of being released by a slight pressure on a hair-trigger. (countable) Any very small distance, or degree; a hairbreadth. (slang, uncountable) Complexity; difficulty; the quality of being hairy. January 2014, Barack Obama, quoted in "Going the Distance" by David Remnick, in The New Yorker Having said all that, those who argue that legalizing marijuana is a panacea and it solves all these social problems I think are probably overstating the case. There is a lot of hair on that policy. ==== Usage notes ==== The word hair is usually used without an article in singular number when it refers to all the hairs on one's head in general. But if it refers to more than one hair, a few hairs, then it takes the plural form with an article and needs a plural verb. When a person's "hair" is discussed without further specification, this almost always refers to their scalp hair rather than hair anywhere else on the body. The latter is usually either called body hair or by specifying a particular body part. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Collocations ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== depilate, depilation, depilator, depilatory epilate, epilation, epilator, epilatory === Verb === hair (third-person singular simple present hairs, present participle hairing, simple past and past participle haired) (transitive) To remove the hair from. (intransitive) To grow hair (where there was a bald spot). (transitive) To cause to have or bear hair; to provide with hair To string the bow for a violin. ==== Translations ==== === Anagrams === Riha, Ihar, Ahir, riah, Hira, Hari, HRIA == Irish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /haɾʲ/ === Verb === hair h-prothesized form of air === Noun === hair h-prothesized form of air == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === ==== Noun ==== hair alternative form of her (“hair”) === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== hair alternative form of here (“haircloth”) === Etymology 3 === ==== Adjective ==== hair alternative form of hor (“hoar”) === Etymology 4 === ==== Noun ==== hair alternative form of heir (“heir”) == Old French == === Alternative forms === hadir, haḍir, haïr === Etymology === From Frankish *hattjan. === Verb === hair to hate ==== Conjugation ==== This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. First person singular present hez and present subjunctives are inherited from Frankish with regular sound changes of *-ttj- > -z/c-. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide. ==== Related terms ==== haïne ==== Descendants ==== Middle French: haïr French: haïr Norman: haï == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish خیر (hayır), from Arabic خَيْر (ḵayr, “good, well, wellbeing”). === Noun === hair n (plural hairuri) share luck ==== Declension ====