Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Hair

Hair

(hâr)
,
Noun.
[OE.
her
,
heer
,
hær
, AS.
hǣr
; akin to OFries.
hēr
, D. & G.
haar
, OHG. & Icel.
hār
, Dan.
haar
, Sw.
hår
; cf. Lith.
kasa
.]
1.
The collection or mass of filaments growing from the skin of an animal, and forming a covering for a part of the head or for any part or the whole of the body.
2.
One the above-mentioned filaments, consisting, in vertebrate animals, of a long, tubular part which is free and flexible, and a bulbous root imbedded in the skin.
Then read he me how Sampson lost his
hairs
.
Chaucer.
And draweth new delights with hoary
hairs
.
Spenser.
3.
Hair (human or animal) used for various purposes;
as,
hair
for stuffing cushions
.
4.
(Zool.)
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.
5.
(Bot.)
An outgrowth of the epidermis, consisting of one or of several cells, whether pointed, hooked, knobbed, or stellated. Internal hairs occur in the flower stalk of the yellow frog lily (
Nuphar
).
6.
A spring device used in a hair-trigger firearm.
7.
A haircloth.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
8.
Any very small distance, or degree; a hairbreadth.
Hairs is often used adjectively or in combination; as, hairbrush or hair brush, hair dye, hair oil, hairpin, hair powder, a brush, a dye, etc., for the hair.
Against the hair
,
in a rough and disagreeable manner; against the grain.
[Obs.]
“You go against the hair of your professions.”
Shak.
Hair bracket
(Ship Carp.)
,
a molding which comes in at the back of, or runs aft from, the figurehead.
Hair cells
(Anat.)
,
cells with hairlike processes in the sensory epithelium of certain parts of the internal ear.
Hair compass
,
Hair divider
,
a compass or divider capable of delicate adjustment by means of a screw.
Hair glove
,
a glove of horsehair for rubbing the skin.
Hair lace
,
a netted fillet for tying up the hair of the head.
Swift.
Hair line
,
a line made of hair; a very slender line.
Hair moth
(Zool.)
,
any moth which destroys goods made of hair, esp.
Tinea biselliella
.
Hair pencil
,
a brush or pencil made of fine hair, for painting; – generally called by the name of the hair used;
as, a camel’s
hair pencil
, a sable's
hair pencil
, etc.
Hair plate
,
an iron plate forming the back of the hearth of a bloomery fire.
Hair powder
,
a white perfumed powder, as of flour or starch, formerly much used for sprinkling on the hair of the head, or on wigs.
Hair seal
(Zool.)
,
any one of several species of eared seals which do not produce fur; a sea lion.
Hair seating
,
haircloth for seats of chairs, etc.
Hair shirt
,
a shirt, or a band for the loins, made of horsehair, and worn as a penance.
Hair sieve
,
a strainer with a haircloth bottom.
Hair snake
.
See
Gordius
.
Hair space
(Printing)
,
the thinnest metal space used in lines of type.
Hair stroke
,
a delicate stroke in writing.
Hair trigger
,
a trigger so constructed as to discharge a firearm by a very slight pressure, as by the touch of a hair.
Farrow.
Not worth a hair
,
of no value.
To a hair
,
with the nicest distinction.
To split hairs
,
to make distinctions of useless nicety.

Webster 1828 Edition


Hair

HAIR

, n.
1.
A small filament issuing from the skin of an animal, and from a bulbous root. Each filament contains a tube or hollow within, occupied by a pulp or pith, which is intended for its nutrition,and extends only to that part which is in a state of growth.
When hair means a single filament,it has a plural,hairs.
2.
The collection or mass of filaments growing from the skin of an animal, and forming an integument or covering; as the hair of the head. Hair is the common covering of many beasts. When the filaments are very fine and short, the collection of them is called fur. Wool, also, is a kind of hair. When hair signifies a collection of these animal filaments, it has no plural.
3.
Any thing very small or fine; or a very small distance; the breadth of a hair. He judges to a hair, that is, very exactly.
4.
A trifling value. It is not worth a hair.
5.
Course; order; grain; the hair falling in a certain direction. [Not used.]
You go against the hair of your profession.
6.
Long, straight and distinct filaments on the surface of plants; a species of down or pubescence.

Definition 2024


haïr

haïr

See also: hair

French

Verb

haïr

  1. (transitive) to hate

Usage notes

  • In Standard French, the h of haïr is said to be aspiré (aspirate) and therefore shows that elisions of vowels and liaisons are not possible, i.e. “I hate you (sg.)” is je te hais, not je t’hais.
  • In colloquial Quebec French, the past historic is used as the present tense for the first, second, and third person singular subject pronouns. Also, the "h" is not aspirated, therefore making elisions possible. For example: "I hate you" is "je t'haïs." Note that this usage is vernacular and not standard.

Conjugation

This verb is spelled as if conjugated like finir, but has a diaeresis throughout its conjugation (including where the circumflex would normally be used) except in the singular indicative present, whose forms are pronounced /ɛ/ in Standard French instead of /ai/, a pronunciation nonetheless often found in informal speech.

See also


Middle French

Verb

haïr

  1. (transitive) to hate

Old French

Verb

haïr

  1. Alternative form of hair

Usage notes

  • Diaereses are used by some, but not all scholars, to show that two or more vowels do not constitute a diphthong or triphthong. See Appendix:Old French spellings for more information.