See Also: Hair analysis (hair element analysis, hair mineral analysis, hair-shaft analysis)(health)
hair(dictionary)
hair(1)(dictionary)
hair(2)(dictionary)
hair(encyclopedia)
bad hair day(dictionary)
Hair(medicine)
hair whorls(medicine)
ringed hair(medicine)
pustulate hair(medicine)

hair (oh)



[Language: Old English; Origin: hAr]
[U] the mass of things like fine threads that grows on your head
　She put on her lipstick and brushed her hair .
　 I must get my hair cut - it's getting very long.
　You've had your hair done differently.
　 His hair was short and dark.
　 a young woman with short blonde hair
　Her long wavy hair was tied back with a bow.
　He's a tall, fair-haired guy.
　 He had a mop of curly black hair .
　 Men are always worrying about losing their hair .
　 She kissed him on the cheek and ruffled his hair .
[C] one of the long fine things like thread that grows on people's heads and on other parts of their bodies, or similar things that grow on animals
　The cat has left white hairs all over the sofa.
　I'm starting to get a few grey hairs.
　I found a hair in my meal.
long-haired/short-haired
　long-haired cats
be tearing/pulling your hair out
to be very worried or angry about something, especially because you do not know what to do
　Anyone else would have been tearing their hair out trying to work it out.
let your hair down
informal to enjoy yourself and start to relax, especially after working very hard
　The party gave us all a chance to really let our hair down.
bad hair day
a day when your hair does not look tidy or neat even when you try to arrange it carefully - used humorously
　I'm having a bit of a bad hair day .
keep your hair on
BrE spoken used to tell someone to keep calm and not get annoyed
　All right, all right, keep your hair on! I'm sorry.
get in sb's hair
informal to annoy someone, especially by always being near them
make sb's hair stand on end
to make someone very frightened
make sb's hair curl
if a story, experience etc makes your hair curl, it is very surprising, frightening, or shocking
　tales that would make your hair curl
not have a hair out of place
to have a very neat appearance
not turn a hair
to remain completely calm when something bad or surprising suddenly happens
not harm/touch a hair of/on sb's head
to not harm someone in any way
the hair of the dog (that bit you)
alcohol that you drink to cure a headache caused by drinking too much alcohol the night before - used humorously
-see also have a good/fine/thick etc head of hair at head 1 (14)
-see also not see hide nor hair of at hide 2 (5)
-see also split hairs at split 1 (8)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COLLOCATES for sense 1
brush/comb your hair
do your hair (=arrange it in a style)
have/get your hair cut/done (=by a hairdresser)
short/long hair
shoulder-length hair
fair/blonde hair (=hair that is yellowish-white in colour)
dark hair
red/auburn hair also ginger hair British English (=hair that is orangey-brown in colour)
straight/curly hair
frizzy hair (=hair that is tightly curled)
wavy hair (=hair with loose curls)
fine/thick hair
lank hair (=hair that is thin, straight, and unattractive)
dark-haired/fair-haired/long-haired etc
strand of hair (=a thin piece of hair)
lock of hair (=a fairly thick piece of hair)
mop of hair (=a large amount of thick untidy hair)
be losing your hair (=be going bald)
run your fingers through your/somebody's hair
ruffle/tousle somebody's hair (=make it untidy by rubbing your hand through it)
HINT sense 1
When you mean 'all the hair on a person's head', hair is an uncountable noun: He has black hair (NOT He has black hairs).