haircut

/ˈheəkʌt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈherkʌt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈher-ˌkət/ (ame, mw)

haircut — noun

  • haircutsingular
  • haircutsplural

1. The specific look created when a person's hair is trimmed and shaped by a barber

1.名詞A2
釋義

The specific look created when a person's hair is trimmed and shaped by a barber or stylist.

例句

Roya's new haircut made her look much more professional at work.

collocation: new haircut

The barber asked Diya what kind of haircut she wanted this time.

同義詞
  • hairstyle

    broader term that covers any way of arranging hair, including colour, curls, and products, not just cutting

  • crop

    informal, specifically a very short haircut all over the head

  • trim

    a light haircut that removes only a small amount to keep the existing style neat

文法句型

get + a haircut

have + a haircut

adjective + haircut

用法筆記

Often modified by adjectives describing style (short, long, layered, spiky). Contrast with sense 2, which refers to the act or appointment rather than the resulting hairstyle.

常見錯誤

❌I like your new haircut style.
✅I like your new haircut.
💡'haircut' already describes the style; adding 'style' is redundant.

2. An event or visit to a salon or barber where someone's hair is made shorter or c

2.名詞A2
釋義

An event or visit to a salon or barber where someone's hair is made shorter or changed in style.

例句

Folake went to the salon for a haircut before her sister's wedding.

Gabriel needs a haircut, but he cannot find time between classes.

collocation: need a haircut

同義詞
  • cut

    more general; works for hair, nails, paper, etc., while 'haircut' is hair-specific

  • trim

    specifically a light haircut that removes only a small amount

文法句型

need + a haircut

book + a haircut

go for + a haircut

用法筆記

Refers to the event or appointment, not the final hairstyle. Common with verbs like need, get, book, have. For a more formal alternative, use 'have one's hair cut'.

常見錯誤

❌I went for cutting hair.
✅I went for a haircut.
💡'haircut' as a noun is the natural choice for the event; avoid using a gerund phrase.

3. An official lowering of the worth of a financial asset, such as a loan or bond,

3.名詞C1
釋義

An official lowering of the worth of a financial asset, such as a loan or bond, often agreed upon during a debt settlement.

例句

The bank took a twenty percent haircut on its loan to the failed company.

financial metaphor: haircut on debt

Investors in the bond fund had to accept a haircut after the market crash.

同義詞
  • reduction

    general term, not limited to financial contexts

  • write-down

    formal accounting term for officially reducing an asset's book value

  • cut

    informal synonym, broader in meaning

反義詞
  • write-up

    an increase in the recorded value of an asset

文法句型

take + a haircut + on + noun phrase

用法筆記

Domain-specific to finance and investment. Almost always expressed as a percentage. The fixed phrase 'take a haircut on [something]' is the most common grammatical pattern. Not used for salary reductions — use 'pay cut' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The company gave employees a haircut on their salaries.
✅The company imposed a pay cut on employees.
💡'haircut' in finance refers to assets (bonds, loans, shares), not salaries.