Hair

hār, n. a filament growing from the skin of an animal: the whole ma of hairs which forms a covering for the head or the whole body: ( bot. ) minute hair-like proce es 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, ., capable of being released by a slight pre ure 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′dre er , one who dre es or cuts hair: a barber.— adj. Haired , having hair—as black-haired , fair-haired , .— ns. Hair′-gra , a kind of gra found generally on poor soil, the bracts of whose florets are generally awned near the base; Hair′ine .— adj. Hair′le , 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 dre ing the hair; Hair′-pen′cil , an artist's brush made of a few fine hairs; Hair′-pin , a pin used in hairdre ing; 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 gla 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 dre 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 , .]