hair
hair [hair hairs] [heə(r)] [her] noun
1. uncountable, countable the substance that looks like a mass of fine threads growing especially on the head; one of these threads growing on the body of people and some animals
• fair/dark hair
• straight/curly/wavy hair
• to comb/brush your hair
• She often wears her hair loose.
• (informal) I'll be down in a minute. I'm doing (= brushing, arranging, etc.) my hair.
• I'm having my hair cut this afternoon.
• He's losing his hair (= becoming bald ).
• body/facial/pubic hair
• There's a hair in my soup.
• The rug was covered with cat hairs.
see also camel hair, horsehair
2. -haired (in adjectives) having the type of hair mentioned
• dark-haired
• long-haired
3. countable a thing that looks like a fine thread growing on the leaves and stems of some plants
more at hang by a hair/thread at hang v., not see hide nor hair of sb/sth at hide n., split hairs at split v., tear your hair out at tear1 v.
Idioms: get in somebody's hair ▪ hair of the dog ▪ keep your hair on ▪ let your hair down ▪ make somebody's hair stand on end ▪ not harm a hair of somebody's head ▪ not have a hair out of place ▪ not turn a hair
Word Origin:
Old English hǣr, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch haar and German Haar.
Thesaurus:
hair noun C
• There's a hair in my soup.
strand • • thread • |BrE fibre • |AmE fiber •
a long/single hair/strand/thread/fibre
a fine hair/strand/thread
Collocations:
Clothes and fashion
Clothes
be wearing a new outfit/bright colours/fancy dress/fur/uniform
be (dressed) in black/red/jeans and a T-shirt/your best suit/leather/silk/rags (= very old torn clothes)
be dressed for work/school/dinner/a special occasion
be dressed as a man/woman/clown/pirate
wear/dress in casual/designer/second-hand clothes
wear jewellery/(especially US) jewelry/accessories/a watch/glasses/contact lenses/perfume
have a cowboy hat/red dress/blue suit on
put on/take off your clothes/coat/shoes/helmet
pull on/pull off your coat/gloves/socks
change into/get changed into a pair of jeans/your pyjamas/(especially US) your pajamas
Appearance
change/enhance/improve your appearance
create/get/have/give sth a new/contemporary/retro look
brush/comb/shampoo/wash/blow-dry your hair
have/get a haircut/your hair cut/a new hairstyle
have/get a piercing/your nose pierced
have/get a tattoo/a tattoo done (on your arm)/a tattoo removed
have/get a makeover/cosmetic surgery
use/wear/apply/put on make-up/cosmetics
Fashion
follow/keep up with (the) fashion/the latest fashions
spend/waste money on designer clothes
be fashionably/stylishly/well dressed
have good/great/terrible/awful taste in clothes
update/revamp your wardrobe
be in/come into/go out of fashion
be (back/very much) in vogue
create a style/trend/vogue for sth
organize/put on a fashion show
show/unveil a designer's spring/summer collection
sashay/strut down the catwalk/(NAmE also) runway
be on/do a photo/fashion shoot
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
Example Bank:
• He ran both hands through his thinning hair.
• He went to the barber's to have his hair cut.
• Her blond hair fell over her eyes.
• Her only hair accessory was a headband.
• His hair curls naturally.
• His hair was shaved close to his head.
• His hair was tousled and he looked as if he'd just woken up.
• I don't like the way she's arranged her hair, do you?
• I'll be down in a minute, I'm just doing my hair.
• I'm trying to grow my hair.
• I've decided to have my hair permed.
• Kyle reached out to stroke her hair.
• She had beautiful auburn hair.
• She had shoulder-length black hair.
• She pushed a stray hair behind her ear.
• She showered, fixed her hair, and applied make up.
• She tossed her long hair out of her eyes.
• She wore her long hair loose on her shoulders.
• They had styled my hair by blowing it out straight.
• Why don't you let your hair grow?
• Why don't you put your hair up for this evening?
• a new shampoo for dull or dry hair
• a stylist specializing in hair extensions
• how to cope with hair loss
• waxing, and the other hair removal methods available for men
• There's a hair in my soup.