haircut

American  

[hair-kuht] / ˈhɛərˌkʌt /

noun

1. an act or instance of cutting the hair.

2. the style in which the hair is cut and worn, especially men's hair.

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haircut British  

/ ˈhɛəˌkʌt /

noun

1. the act or an instance of cutting the hair

2. the style in which hair has been cut

3. slang stock exchange a percentage of the value of an asset deducted to account for a possible fall in its value before it can be liquidated

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• haircutting
  noun
• haircutter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of haircut

First recorded in 1895–1900; hair + cut

Explanation

A haircut is what a barber does when he trims your hair with scissors. You might decide it's time for a haircut when your bangs are hanging in your eyes. Some people go to fancy salons for a haircut, while others visit a barber or trust a friend to give them a haircut. You can call the resulting style — the layered sides or shaved neck — a haircut too. If your haircut is striking or unusual, like a spiky purple Mohawk, you'll probably get lots of comments and admiring glances. The haircut is believed to date from A.U.C. 454, in ancient Rome.

Example Sentences

Nolasco said a taper is the favorite haircut these days and there’s also players bleaching their hair blond for the playoffs.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

“If you’re at the gym or getting a haircut and everyone is talking about ‘Are we in a bubble,’” says Lamont, “that’s a pretty good clue that we might be in a bubble.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

The capex boom propping up GDP growth just got a deflationary haircut from a research paper.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

That would be a 14% haircut from current prices.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

A fur-trimmed cap obscured the crazy haircut he sported, and he had washed the dirt and paint off his face.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• crew cut
• hairdo
• hairstyle