hairdo

American  

[hair-doo] / ˈhɛərˌdu /

noun

plural

hairdos

1. the style in which a person's hair is cut, arranged, and worn; coiffure.

2. the hair itself, especially when newly or elaborately arranged.

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hairdo British  

/ ˈhɛəˌduː /

noun

1. the arrangement of a person's hair, esp after styling and setting

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Etymology

Origin of hairdo

First recorded in 1920–25; hair + do ¹

Explanation

A hairdo is what a stylist gives you when he cuts and styles your hair. You might go to the salon to get a fancy hairdo before your cousin's wedding. Hairdo is an informal word for "hairstyle." It's the way your hair is cut, dried, and arranged on your head, especially if there's some effort put into it. The way your hair looks when you roll out of bed in the morning isn't a hairdo, and pulling it back into a ponytail or covering it with a bandanna isn't a hairdo either. The elaborate beehive piled five inches high on your grandma's head? Now that's a hairdo.

Example Sentences

Never mind that it was said to have been dreamed up by kids at a soda fountain that Short frequented and referred mainly to her upswept hairdo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

On the catwalk and in his own life, Valentino exuded luxury down to the last detail of his immaculate hairdo and caramel tan, often photographed with multiple pug dogs at his side.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

In the photo, Halsey adorns a spunky pixie haircut and overplucked skinny eyebrows to pay homage to O'Riordan's cherry red short hairdo and overall '00s punk rock aesthetic.

From Salon • Oct. 15, 2024

The audience was shown a trio of pictures from the new film including an image of Curtis sporting a silver bobbed hairdo while driving Lohan in an open top car.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2024

Except she had an old-fashioned bubble-top hairdo, cat’s-eye glasses, and a tweed jacket with patches on the elbows.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• haircut
• hairstyle