hairspray

IPA/ˈheəspreɪ/
KK[hˈɛrsprˌe]IPA/ˈherspreɪ/

hairspray — noun

1. a liquid in an aerosol can that you spray onto your hair to keep your hairstyle

1.nounA2
Definition

a liquid in an aerosol can that you spray onto your hair to keep your hairstyle in the desired shape and position

Example

Caleb sprayed too much hairspray on his hair before the school play.

collocation: spray hairspray on [hair/head]

Harper bought a new hairspray that smells like coconut and vanilla.

countable: a new hairspray (a specific brand or can)

Common collocations
  • spray hairspray on
  • use hairspray
  • a can of hairspray
  • strong/hard-hold hairspray
  • hairspray holds
Synonyms
  • styling spray

    a broader category that includes hairspray plus other spray-on hair products

  • hair lacquer

    an older, less common term for the same product, mostly used in professional settings

Usage Note

Hairspray is usually uncountable ("I need some hairspray") but can be countable when referring to a specific brand or can ("She bought three hairsprays").

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Hairspray, styling spray, hair gel, and hair mousse are all styling products, but each works differently. Hairspray is an aerosol mist sprayed onto finished hair to lock a style in place, giving hold and weather protection. Styling spray is a broader term that includes any spray-on product used before or after styling. Hair gel is a thick, jelly-like substance applied to wet hair for structure and shine, often giving a firmer, wet-look hold. Hair mousse is a foam applied to damp hair before blow-drying to add volume and body. A common rule: use hairspray to finish, gel to sculpt, and mousse to add fullness.

hairspray ↗styling sprayhair gelhair mousse

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a can of hairspray
  • a blast of hairspray

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle DutchEnglish

Hairspray is a compound of 'hair' (from Old English 'hǣr', referring to the strands growing on the human head) and 'spray' (from Middle Dutch 'spraaien', meaning 'to sprinkle or scatter liquid in fine droplets'). The word entered English use in the mid-20th century, around the 1940s–1950s, when pressurised aerosol cans were developed for household and beauty products.