horsehair Hear it!

horsehair Definition

horse·hair (hôrs′her′)

noun

  1. any of the hairs from the mane or tail of a horse
  2. a growth of these hairs
  3. a stiff fabric made from horsehair; haircloth

Etymology: ME horsher

adjective

  1. of horsehair
  2. covered or stuffed with horsehair

horsehair Usage Examples

Converse of object

contain: Anthrax in Plaster Plaster usually contains horsehair and, before controls were introduced in 1895, could contain anthrax spores.

Adjective modifier

real: The mane and tail should be of real horsehair, professionally cleaned and cured.

Modifies a noun

  • wig: There are proposals to stop the Judges from wearing their horsehair wigs.
  • sofa: There was a horsehair sofa which with short trousers was a bit like sitting on emery paper.
  • factory: Stanley ran the horsehair factory in Newport Rd Cowes a short distance from Mill Hill station.
  • mattress: Each child had its own bed with a horsehair mattress, pillow, three blankets and sheets.
  • brush: Brush it out with a stiff horsehair brush and lay paper on top, then rub the back of the paper with a baren.
  • cloth: In 1883, however, Middleton and Hovell were listed at this address as horsehair cloth manufacturers.