hairline

[hair-lahyn]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hairline ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a very slender line.

the lower edge of the hair, especially along the upper forehead: a hairline that slowly receded.

worsted fabric woven with very fine lines or stripes.

Printing.

a very thin line on the face of a type.
a style of type consisting entirely of such lines.
a thin rule for printing fine lines.
undesirable vertical lines between letters, caused by worn matrices.

adjective

narrow or fine as a hair: a hairline fracture.

Origin of hairline

First recorded in 1725–35; hair + line¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for hairline

ingenious, faint, slight, profound, sophisticated, indirect, exquisite, understated, rare, gentle, fragile, mild, elegant, delightful, delicious, graceful, tender, subtle, soft, delicate

Examples from the Web for hairline

Contemporary Examples of hairline

Hairline receded, the threat of winning decidedly muted, Roger Federer is almost 32.
Roger Federer’s Hair Evolution
Sujay Kumar
June 9, 2013
His hairline was receding, but he was visibly muscle-bound even in a suit.
Did a CIA Agent Work for the Mob? Excerpt from Evan Wright’s New Book
Evan Wright
June 28, 2012
I also developed facial hair like a beard and around my hairline.
Your Puffy-Face Moments, Inspired by Ashley Judd
April 13, 2012
Perry discusses his upcoming execution with an aw-shucks smile; his hairline is tasseled with greasy bangs.
Werner Herzog’s 'Into the Abyss' Explores the Death Penalty
Ben Crair
November 20, 2011

Historical Examples of hairline

He readjusted the slide rule and slid the hairline over a bit.
Islands of Space
John W Campbell
The hairline above his ear was a simpler curve than she recalled.
Wilderness of Spring
Edgar Pangborn
He inspected the base of the hook closely and there seemed to be a fine, hairline fracture appearing around it.
The Nothing Equation
Tom Godwin
There was a lot of grey in his short hair, and his hairline was a lot higher up his forehead.
Makers
Cory Doctorow
In the sunlight it gleamed like polished silver, but they could see a hairline break in the metal encircling the center portion.
Gold in the Sky
Alan Edward Nourse

British Dictionary definitions for hairline

hairline

noun

the natural margin formed by hair on the head

a very narrow line
(as modifier)a hairline crack

printing

a thin stroke in a typeface
any typeface consisting of such strokes
thin lines beside a character, produced by worn or poorly cast type

a rope or line of hair

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

Word Origin and History for hairline

"cord made of hair," 1731, from hair + line. Meaning "a very fine line" is from 1846. As "the outline of the hair on top of the head," by 1903. As an adjective, of cracks, etc., by 1923.

hairline in Medicine

hairline

[hâr′līn′]

n.

The outline of the growth of hair on the head, especially across the front.