sideburns

American

[sahyd-burnz] / ˈsaɪdˌbɜrnz /

plural noun

short whiskers extending from the hairline to below the ears and worn with an unbearded chin.
the projections of the hairline forming a border on the face in front of each ear.

sideburns British

/ ˈsaɪdˌbɜːnz /

plural noun

Also called: sideboards, side whiskers, sidelevers. a man's whiskers grown down either side of the face in front of the ears

"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

Etymology

Origin of sideburns

1885–90, alteration of burnsides

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.

See Examples For:

sideburns

The fulcrum of a cultural transition from vibrancy to stagnation was the 1970s, an era remembered now, if at all, for leisure suits, burnt-orange shag carpeting and muttonchop sideburns.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2025

In May 2024, Obeng’s supervisor sent him home to shave his sideburns and then return, according to the filing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2025

With sideburns and the sharpest mod feather cut, he even looked good in Lycra.

From BBC ● May 13, 2025

“Lauren is sure she doesn’t know what Gladstone’s sideburns looked like. What did Gladstone do? How racist was he? Does she have a problematic cat? This is perhaps not her most pressing issue.”

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2024

They wore striped pants, loud ties, sideburns, goatees.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023