Hair

Hair, hār, n. a filament growing from the skin of an animal: the whole mass of hairs which forms a covering for the head or the whole body: (bot.) minute hair-like processes on the cuticle of plants: anything very small and fine: particular course, quality, or character: (mech.) a locking spring or other safety contrivance in the lock of a rifle, &c., capable of being released by a slight pressure on a hair-trigger.—ns. Hair′breadth, Hair's′-breadth, the breadth of a hair (Hairbreadth 'scape, a very narrow escape): a very small distance; Hair′-brush, a brush for the hair; Hair′cloth, cloth made partly or entirely of hair; Hair′dresser, one who dresses or cuts hair: a barber.—adj. Haired, having hair—as black-haired, fair-haired, &c.—ns. Hair′-grass, a kind of grass found generally on poor soil, the bracts of whose florets are generally awned near the base; Hair′iness.—adj. Hair′less, without hair.—ns. Hair′-line, a line made of hair, used in fishing: a slender line made in writing or drawing: (print.) a very thin line on a type; Hair′-oil, perfumed oil used in dressing the hair; Hair′-pen′cil, an artist's brush made of a few fine hairs; Hair′-pin, a pin used in hairdressing; Hair′-pow′der, a white powder for dusting the hair; Hair′-shirt, a penitent's shirt of haircloth; Hair′-space, the thinnest metal space used by compositors; Hair′-split′ter, one who makes too nice distinctions; Hair′-split′ting, the art of making minute and over-nice distinctions; Hair′spring, a very fine hair-like spring coiled up within the balance-wheel of a watch; Hair′-stroke, in writing, a fine stroke with the pen: a hair-line; Hair′-trigg′er, a trigger which discharges a gun or pistol by a hair-like spring; Hair′-work, work done or something made with hair, esp. human; Hair′worm, a worm, like a horse-hair, which lives in the bodies of certain insects.—adj. Hair′y, of or resembling hair: covered with hair.—Against the hair, against the grain: contrary to what is natural; A hair of the dog that bit him, a smaller dose of that which caused the trouble, esp. used of the morning glass after a night's debauch—a homeopathic dose; Comb a person's hair the wrong way, to irritate or provoke him; Keep one's hair on (slang) to keep cool; Make the hair stand on end, to give the greatest astonishment or fright to another; Not to turn a hair, not to be ruffled or disturbed; Put up the hair, to dress the hair up on the head instead of wearing it hanging; Split hairs, to make superfine distinctions; To a hair, To the turn of a hair, exactly, with perfect nicety. [A.S. hǽr, Ger., Dut., and Dan. haar, &c.]