mohair

American  

[moh-hair] / ˈmoʊˌhɛər /

noun

1. the coat or fleece of an Angora goat.

2. a fabric made of yarn from this fleece, in a plain weave for draperies and in a pile weave for upholstery.

3. a garment made of this fabric.

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mohair British  

/ ˈməʊˌhɛə /

noun

1. Also called: angora.  the long soft silky hair that makes up the outer coat of the Angora goat

2. 1. a fabric made from the yarn of this hair and cotton or wool

   2. ( as modifier )

      a mohair suit

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Etymology

Origin of mohair

1560–70; variant (by folk etymology) of earlier mocayare < Italian moccaiaro < Arabic mukhayyar literally, chosen, choice, past participle of khayyara to choose

Example Sentences

Two weeks before the show, young seamstresses were crocheting floral motifs in mohair and Japanese metallic thread at a south London studio overlooking the Thames river and Big Ben.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

And I had this cardigan on, which was full of mohair, so it was in my throat, in my nose, in my eyes, and it started to affect my voice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

The next morning, I wandered into a local yarn store called The Dropped Stitch and found myself petting skeins of mohair in colors with edible names: “tarragon,” “licorice,” “pumpkin spice.”

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025

Livestock from Argentina, Iceland, Norway, and more produce distinctly varied types of wool, from merino to lambswool, cashmere to mohair.

From Slate • Sep. 2, 2025

This was going to be the start of a real crying jag, I had the feeling, for a girl whose only hopes for the year were a sweet-sixteen party and a pink mohair twin set.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• cashmere
• fleece
• fur
• hair
• tweed
• yarn