hair

n. [ OE. her, heer, hær, AS. h&aemacr_;r; 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then read he me how Sampson lost his hairs. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

And draweth new delights with hoary hairs. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Hair (human or animal) used for various purposes; as, hair for stuffing cushions. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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). [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A spring device used in a hair-trigger firearm. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A haircloth. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Any very small distance, or degree; a hairbreadth. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]