hairball
hairball — noun
- hairballsingular
- hairballsplural
1. a clump of fur that collects inside the stomach of a cat or other animal when it
a clump of fur that collects inside the stomach of a cat or other animal when it licks and swallows loose hair while cleaning itself, and which the animal sometimes brings up through its mouth
Nora's cat coughed up a hairball on the living room rug yesterday morning.
cough up a hairball — common verb collocation
The vet told Eitan that long-haired cats get more hairballs than short-haired ones.
long-haired cat + get hairballs — typical subject pattern
Walid brushes his Persian cat daily to reduce the number of hairballs.
Valentina bought a special food that helps prevent hairballs in her two cats.
Minh explained that a hairball can sometimes block a cat's digestive system.
- fur ball
less formal; more common in casual conversation than hairball
- trichobezoar
medical term used by veterinarians; very formal and technical
文法句型
hairball + verb (cough up, bring up, vomit)
verb + a hairball
用法筆記
Typically used in the context of cats, though other grooming animals (rabbits, ferrets) can also develop them. The verb phrase cough up a hairball is the most common collocation.