hairball

American  

[hair-bawl] / ˈhɛərˌbɔl /

noun

1. 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.

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hairball British  

/ ˈhɛəˌbɔːl /

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of hairball

First recorded in 1705–15; hair + ball ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hairball

I woke up in the middle of the night — in that middle part between sleep and awake — to what sounded like a cat coughing up a hairball.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2024

The three-part spinoff prequel rewinds to the 1970s, a time when New York was a massive hairball, apparently.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2023

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

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2023

Remember, you were perfectly comfortable around the smirking green hairball with an extra-small heart and the crooning skeleton in a bat bow tie.

From New York Times ● Sep. 30, 2022

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

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan