hair follicle

American

noun

Anatomy.

a small cavity in the epidermis and corium of the skin, from which a hair develops.

hair follicle British

noun

a narrow tubular cavity that contains the root of a hair, formed by an infolding of the epidermis and corium of the skin

"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 hair follicle

First recorded in 1830–40

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.

But Tsuji says his study identified a "novel third cell type", called a hair follicle regenerative-supporting cell.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

As of right now, dermatologists don’t know the root cause of FAPD, though they believe it might show up in midlife due to a decline in estrogen, which protects against hair follicle inflammation.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

The researchers tested how hair follicle stem cells respond to metabolic stress.

From Science Daily • Nov. 7, 2025

Others are former hair follicle stem cells, which usually promote hair growth but respond to the more urgent needs of the moment, morphing into epidermal stem cells to bolster local ranks and repair efforts.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024

The root has a bulbous extremity, is lighter and softer than the stem, and is lodged in a recess or hair follicle, which may either be in the corium or subcutaneous areol�.

From Special Report on Diseases of Cattle by United States. Bureau of Animal Industry

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