haircut

American  

[hair-kuht] / ˈhɛərˌkʌt /

noun

1. an act or instance of cutting the hair.

2. the style in which the hair is cut and worn, especially men's hair.

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haircut British  

/ ˈhɛəˌkʌt /

noun

1. the act or an instance of cutting the hair

2. the style in which hair has been cut

3. slang stock exchange a percentage of the value of an asset deducted to account for a possible fall in its value before it can be liquidated

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Other Word Forms

• haircutter
  noun
• haircutting
  noun

Etymology

Origin of haircut

First recorded in 1895–1900; hair + cut

Explanation

A haircut is what a barber does when he trims your hair with scissors. You might decide it's time for a haircut when your bangs are hanging in your eyes. Some people go to fancy salons for a haircut, while others visit a barber or trust a friend to give them a haircut. You can call the resulting style — the layered sides or shaved neck — a haircut too. If your haircut is striking or unusual, like a spiky purple Mohawk, you'll probably get lots of comments and admiring glances. The haircut is believed to date from A.U.C. 454, in ancient Rome.

Example Sentences

On a March morning at the Nateland Entertainment headquarters in downtown Nashville, the founder wears Nike Dunks, a striped sweater and a neat haircut.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Your financial adviser — bless his expensive haircut — only knows about the fake one.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

In the dugout dressed in his uniform, Miguel Gonzalez has his scissors out giving a free haircut to a teammate.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Jacks has been given the nickname of Slim Shady by some England players during this tournament – a reference to his pre-tournament haircut and bleached blond hair.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

That Lou Ann gave me the world’s worst haircut?

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Related Words

• crew cut
• hairdo
• hairstyle