horsehair

[ hawrs-hair ]

/ ˈhɔrsˌhɛər /

noun

a hair or the hair of a horse, especially from the mane or tail.

a sturdy, glossy fabric woven of this hair.

adjective

of or relating to horsehair: a horsehair mattress.

Nearby words

horsecloth, horsefeathers, horsefish, horseflesh, horsefly, horsehair, horsehair fungus, horsehair toadstool, horsehair worm, horsehair-blight fungus, horsehead

Origin of horsehair

First recorded in 1275–1325, horsehair is from the Middle English word hors here. See horse, hair

Related forms

horse·haired, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for horsehair

And the other is what is called a horsehair worm that overtakes the bodies of insects.
Vampires without Glitter or Girl Problems: Inside Guillermo del Toro’s ‘The Strain’|Andrew Romano|July 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Atop the mattress and box spring, Hughes reveals two “toppers,” stuffed with cashmere, horsehair, and lambswool.
Savoir Beds’ Royal State Bed: Just Perfect, If You Have $175,000|Daniel Gross|June 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The fruit, slit into halves, is placed in hempen or horsehair bags, and submitted to slight pressure in a tincture press.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
He sat down on one of the horsehair chairs; but his companion remained standing a little distance away.
The Mystery of the Downs|John R. Watson

The furniture was completely covered with horsehair and cushions, so that no corners or edges of the wood were visible.
The German Lieutenant and Other Stories|August Strindberg
She settled herself, though she sat quite upright, in the geometrical centre of the horsehair sofa, and cleared her throat.
Coniston, Complete|Winston Churchill
The cordonnet of Alençon is the only one which has horsehair for its foundation.
Chats on Old Lace and Needlework|Emily Leigh Lowes

British Dictionary definitions for horsehair

horsehair

/ (ˈhɔːsˌhɛə) /

noun

hair taken chiefly from the tail or mane of a horse, used in upholstery and for fabric, etc
(as modifier)a horsehair mattress

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