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hair

(hâr)

a. Any of the cylindrical, keratinized, often pigmented filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal.

b. A growth of such filaments, as that forming the coat of an animal or covering the scalp of a human.

2. A filamentous projection or bristle similar to a hair, such as a seta of an arthropod or an epidermal process of a plant.

3. Fabric made from the hair of certain animals: a coat of alpaca hair.

a. A minute distance or narrow margin: won by a hair.

b. A precise or exact degree: calibrated to a hair.

[Middle English her, from Old English hǣr.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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