mane
Americannoun
-
manes
plural
-
the long hair growing on the back of or around the neck and neighboring parts of some animals, as the horse or lion.
-
Informal. (on a human being) a head of distinctively long and thick or rough hair.
noun
-
the long coarse hair that grows from the crest of the neck in such mammals as the lion and horse
-
long thick human hair
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of mane
before 900; Middle English; Old English manu; cognate with German Mähne, Dutch manen, Old Norse mǫn
Explanation
Use the noun mane when you talk about an animal's ruff of neck hair. A male lion's mane can be very fluffy and dramatic. A mane is a patch or growth of long hair, whether it's found on a lion or down the neck of a pony, or even on a human's head. You might stroke a horse's mane while sitting on its back, or you could compliment your friend on her beautiful mane of long blonde hair. The Old English root is manu, which comes from a Proto-Indo-European root, mon, which means "neck" or "nape of the neck."
Vocabulary lists containing mane
Horsin' Around
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"A Contest of Riddles"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
When I Was the Greatest
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The 21-year-old conservationist, who records footage for social media to raise awareness about the "threats our seas are facing", said it was the first lion's mane he had seen in Wales.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
With her distinctive husky voice, tousled mane of blonde hair and black eyeliner, Tyler was instantly recognisable as the queen of the 1980s power ballad.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
The lion's mane corresponds to the inner region of a dust shell illuminated by the white dwarf at the center.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
The cowboy grips its reins and mane with one hand, his sole sure purchase on the almost upright animal, and flings out his free arm to balance himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
A smiling Heath Huxley, his perfectly proportioned teeth shining like a white picket fence, stepped out of the principal’s office and stroked his sleek black mane.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
The horses of the Griffith Park merry-go-round are known for their flowing manes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Lucas said lion's manes "occasionally" reach the Welsh coast later in the summer or autumn, according to jellyfish sightings recorded by the public, but their main habitat in the UK was Scotland.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
I certainly haven’t noticed that modern television is overflowing with strapping, brawny men, some sporting magnificent beards or manly manes on their heads, atop bodies as smooth as Barbie dolls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The colorful horse toys with brushable manes and tails were first created in the '80s and had a revival in 2003.
From Salon ● Nov. 13, 2024
They did not come nearer but stood at the edge of the trees, tossing their manes and sending up high whinnies to the air.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
