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hairball

American

[hair-bawl] / ˈhɛərˌbɔl /

noun

a ball of hair accumulated in the stomach or intestines of a cat or other animal as a result of the animal's licking its coat.

hairball British

/ ˈhɛəˌbɔːl /

noun

a compact mass of hair that forms in the stomach of cats, calves, etc, as a result of licking and swallowing the fur, and causes vomiting, coughing, bloat, weight loss, and depression

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hairball

First recorded in 1705–15; hair + ball ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Munch, a friendly, purple-ish hairball of a creature, was once the anchor of Chuck E. Cheese’s Make Believe Band.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025

The collection includes George Washington’s death announcement, a mummified cat and even a giant hairball.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2023

We all want a season that's more ho-ho-ho than hairball.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2022

But the cough could have been caused by something as simple as a hairball, he said, and the keepers were unsure what it meant.

From Washington Post • Oct. 8, 2021

Percy fumbled for his sword, and Hazel made a sound like a cat with a hairball.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023