noun
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the act or an instance of cutting the hair
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the style in which hair has been cut
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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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of haircut
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For some, particularly companies that raised money at highflying private-market valuations, IPOs might have to take a valuation haircut.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
With her sharp features, geometric haircut and form-fitting black ensembles, she’s a Bond villain minus the martial arts skills — icy but with a flicker of feeling, which makes her interesting.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
The capex boom propping up GDP growth just got a deflationary haircut from a research paper.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
That is a larger than typical discount to the broader market, and a slightly bigger than usual haircut relative to their own average multiples over the past 10 years.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
But when he asked for new clothes or a haircut, Mr. Garner asked, “Do you think money grows on trees?”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Definitions 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.
