Added 8 October 2026
hair
/ˈhɛə/ noun
In Latin: pilus, capillus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hair at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A pigmented filament of keratin which grows from a follicle on the skin of humans and other mammals.
- 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.
-
Specifically, the collection of hairs on the top and sides of the human head, growing from the scalp.
In the western world, women usually have long hair while men usually have short hair.
verb
Origin
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)