hairs

IPA/heər/
KK[hˈɛrz]IPA/her/

hairs — noun

  • hairssingular
  • hairsesplural

1. The fine, thread-like strands found on the bodies of people and animals, treated

1.nounA1
Definition

The fine, thread-like strands found on the bodies of people and animals, treated as individual items that can be counted rather than as one mass.

Example

Nadia found several long grey hairs on her coat after visiting the barber.

countable plural: several + hairs

The old cat left black hairs all over the white sofa.

Common collocations
  • find + hairs
  • brush + hairs + away
  • hairs + on + [surface]
  • few + hairs
  • several + hairs
  • white + hairs
  • grey + hairs
  • stray + hairs
Synonyms
  • strands

    More general; can refer to threads of any material (hair, wool, cotton). 'Strands of hair' is more formal than 'hairs'.

  • locks

    Poetic or literary; usually refers to a bunch or clump of hair on the head, not individual strands.

  • tresses

    Literary; refers to long, flowing hair on a woman's head, never to animal hair or single strands.

Grammar Patterns

hairs (plural count noun)

Usage Note

Unlike the uncountable noun 'hair' (which refers to a mass), 'hairs' is countable and points to individual strands. Use 'hairs' when you want to talk about a specific number of strands — for example, 'three grey hairs' or 'a few stray hairs'.

Common Mistakes

I washed my hairs this morning.
I washed my hair this morning.
For the mass of hair on your head, use the uncountable 'hair', not 'hairs'.
There is a hair in my soup' (when you mean one strand).
There is a hair in my soup
This is correct; 'a hair' is singular countable. ❌ 'There are hairs in my soup' — Only if you mean several strands.

2. An extremely tiny margin, distance, or amount — used in fixed expressions such a

2.nounB1
Definition

An extremely tiny margin, distance, or amount — used in fixed expressions such as 'by a hair' or 'a hair's breadth' to describe a very narrow difference or a close call.

Example

The sprinter won the race by a hair, so the judges studied the photo finish carefully.

fixed expression: by a hair (narrow margin)

Nila missed the train by a hair and had to wait two hours for the next one.

Common collocations
  • by a hair
  • a hair's breadth
  • off by a hair
  • win by a hair
  • miss by a hair
  • escape by a hair
Synonyms
  • whisker

    Informal; 'by a whisker' has the same meaning but sounds more casual and is typically used for races or elections.

  • margin

    Neutral and general; 'by a narrow margin' is more formal and less vivid than 'by a hair'.

Antonyms
  • miles

    Informal, used contrastively: 'by miles' means 'by a very wide margin'.

Grammar Patterns

by a hair

a hair's breadth

not by a hair

Usage Note

This sense is restricted to a small set of fixed expressions. 'By a hair' often follows verbs of narrowly achieving or missing something (win, lose, miss, escape). 'A hair's breadth' replaces 'hair' in the same pattern but is slightly more formal.

Common Mistakes

The difference is a hair.
The difference is a hair's breadth.
Without 'breadth', the expression is incomplete. Use 'by a hair' as an adverbial phrase, not alone.
I missed the goal by hairs.
I missed the goal by a hair.
This sense uses the singular 'a hair', not the plural 'hairs'.

3. Thin, hair-like growths on the surface of a plant or other organism, such as the

3.nounB2
Definition

Thin, hair-like growths on the surface of a plant or other organism, such as the tiny fibres on a leaf, stem, or the body of some insects.

Example

The small hairs on the nettle leaf can sting when you brush against them.

Dylan examined the fine hairs covering the stem of the tomato plant under a magnifying glass.

collocation: fine hairs + covering + [plant part]

Common collocations
  • fine + hairs
  • tiny + hairs
  • hairs + on + [plant part]
  • stinging + hairs
  • poisonous + hairs
  • hairs + covering
Synonyms
  • trichomes

    The precise scientific term for plant hairs; far more technical and rarely used outside biology.

  • fibres

    Broader; can refer to any thread-like structure, including plant hairs, but also to wood, fabric, or muscle fibres.

  • bristles

    Refers to short, stiff hairs on plants or animals; suggests a rougher texture than 'hairs'.

Grammar Patterns

hairs (botanical structures)

Usage Note

This botanical sense is a specialised extension of the 'hair' meaning. It appears mainly in biology or gardening contexts. The word 'trichomes' is the formal scientific term for plant hairs.

Common Mistakes

The plant has hair on its stem.' (when meaning botanical structures).
The plant has fine hairs on its stem.
In botany, always use the countable plural 'hairs' to refer to these structures.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Hairs', 'strands', 'locks', and 'tresses' all refer to the thin fibres growing from human or animal skin, but they differ in countability, register, and scope. 'Hairs' is the most direct countable form of the general word 'hair' — it points to individual, separate fibres and works for people, animals, and even single stray strands. 'Strands' is a broader term that can refer to any thread-like piece of material (cotton, wool, wire, hair) and sounds slightly more formal when talking about hair. 'Locks' and 'tresses' are literary or poetic words: 'locks' suggests a bunch or clump of hair, while 'tresses' specifically describes long, flowing hair on a woman and is rarely used in everyday speech. For example: 'She found a few grey hairs on her pillow' (neutral, countable), 'She ran her fingers through her golden locks' (poetic, clump), and 'Her long tresses blew in the wind' (literary). Choose 'hairs' for neutral, precise reference to individual strands; reserve 'locks' and 'tresses' for creative writing.

hairs ↗strands ↗locks ↗tresses ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'hair' traces back to Old English 'hǣr', which itself comes from a Proto-Germanic root '*hērą' (hair). This Germanic root is related to similar words in Old Norse (hár), Dutch (haar), and German (Haar). The Proto-Indo-European origin is '*ker-s-', meaning 'bristle' or 'rough hair', which also gave rise to words in Latin (hirtus — 'bristly, shaggy') and Sanskrit (केश — keśa, 'hair'). The countable plural form 'hairs' has been in use since the Old English period whenever speakers wanted to refer to individual strands rather than a mass.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a