hairline

American  

[hair-lahyn] / ˈhɛərˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a very slender line.

2. the lower edge of the hair, especially along the upper forehead.

   a hairline that slowly receded.

3. worsted fabric woven with very fine lines or stripes.

4. Printing.

   1. a very thin line on the face of a type.

   2. a style of type consisting entirely of such lines. line.

   3. a thin rule for printing fine lines. line.

   4. undesirable vertical lines line between letters, caused by worn matrices.

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adjective

1. narrow or fine as a hair.

   a hairline fracture.

hairline British  

/ ˈhɛəˌlaɪn /

noun

1. the natural margin formed by hair on the head

2. 1. a very narrow line

   2. ( as modifier )

      a hairline crack

3. printing

   1. a thin stroke in a typeface

   2. any typeface consisting of such strokes

   3. thin lines beside a character, produced by worn or poorly cast type

4. a rope or line of hair

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Etymology

Origin of hairline

First recorded in 1725–35; hair + line ¹

Example Sentences

But neither of his grandfathers had much; his father has a receding hairline.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

Dr Farjo also warns that cheap, unregulated procedures, not only in Turkey, can sometimes lead to people needing "costly corrective surgery" to deal with scarring and "poor hairline design".

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2025

With chilling nonchalance, Victor observes the start of a hairline fracture that will eventually produce a painful crack.

From Salon • Jul. 28, 2025

The rash traditionally starts at the hairline and moves its way down the body, according to Pan.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2025

His head, with deep recessions in the hairline now, seemed to have been baked in a slow oven.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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