crew cut

American  

noun

1. a haircut in which the hair is very closely cropped, with some extra length on top.

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crew cut British  

noun

1. a closely cropped haircut for men, originating in the US

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crew cut Idioms  

1. A closely cropped haircut, usually for a male, as in The boys all think crew cuts are cooler in summer. This term presumably originated in the navy (crew referring to a ship's crew), where such a haircut was mandatory. [c. 1940]

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Usage

What else does crew cut mean? A crew cut is a short men's hairstyle, with shorter sides and a longer top. The style was popularized by Ivy League crew teams in the 1930s and is still associated with preppy fashion today, though it is an extremely widespread male hairstyle. How do you pronounce crew cut?[kroo kuht]

Other Word Forms

• crew-cut
  adjective
• crewcut
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of crew cut

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

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Compare meaning

How does crew-cut compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• crew cut vs. buzzcut

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crew cut

Verizon said its “facilities were fully functional” until the New Jersey Transit crew cut its cable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The scene where Harris approached a captured bug, rocking an ankle-length black trench coat with his blonde hair in a close crew cut, was the closest “Troopers” came to clubbing the audience in the ribs.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Remove the slipcase to take off Ender’s suit to reveal his crew cut and him dressed in standard blue military garb.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 25, 2023

An Omaha Fire Department crew cut the grate to free him, Assistant Fire Chief Jason Bradley told the newspaper.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2023

The Reverend towered over the rickety altar, his fiery crew cut bristling like a woodpecker’s cockade.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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