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sideburns

American  
[sahyd-burnz] / ˈsaɪdˌbɜrnz /

plural noun

  1. short whiskers extending from the hairline to below the ears and worn with an unbearded chin.

  2. the projections of the hairline forming a border on the face in front of each ear.


sideburns British  
/ ˈsaɪdˌbɜːnz /

plural noun

  1. 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:

An era remembered now, if at all, for leisure suits, burnt-orange shag carpeting and muttonchop sideburns, it marked the passage from progress to reaction.

From Salon Aug. 9, 2025

However, he redeems himself as an administrator by writing impenetrable new rules on the size of officers’ sideburns and mustaches.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 28, 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

“If I can bring sideburns back, that would be cool,” Mr. Sessa recently told Dazed Digital.

From New York Times Jan. 23, 2024

He even painted in the mutton- chop sideburns with a grease pencil.

From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

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