vibrissa

[ vahy-bris-uh ]

/ vaɪˈbrɪs ə /

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noun, plural vi·bris·sae [vahy-bris-ee] /vaɪˈbrɪs i/.

one of the stiff, bristly hairs growing about the mouth of certain animals, as a whisker of a cat.

one of the long, slender, bristlelike feathers growing along the side of the mouth in many birds.

Nearby words

vibrio parahaemolyticus, vibrio vulnificus, vibrionaceae, vibrionic, vibriosis, vibrissa, vibro-, vibrocardiogram, vibrograph, vibrometer, vibronic

Origin of vibrissa

1685–95; < Medieval Latin, derivative of Latin vibrāre to shake

Related forms

vi·bris·sal, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for vibrissa

A bristle (vibrissa) on each side of the face near the margin of the mouth.
Handbook of Medical Entomology|William Albert Riley

British Dictionary definitions for vibrissa

vibrissa

/ (vaɪˈbrɪsə) /

noun plural -sae (-siː) (usually plural)

any of the bristle-like sensitive hairs on the face of many mammals; a whisker

any of the specialized bristle-like feathers around the beak in certain insectivorous birds

Derived Forms

vibrissal, adjective

Word Origin for vibrissa

C17: from Latin, probably from vibrāre to shake

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

Medicine definitions for vibrissa

vibrissa

[ vī-brĭs′ə, və- ]

n. pl. vi•bris•sae (-brĭs′ē)

Any of the hairs growing at the anterior nares.

Any of the long, stiff hairs projecting from the anterior nares of most mammals, as cat whiskers.

Science definitions for vibrissa

vibrissa

[ vī-brĭs′ə, və- ]

Plural vibrissae (vī-brĭs′ē, və-)

Any of the long, stiff, bristlelike hairs that project from the snout or brow of most mammals, as the whiskers of a cat or rat. Vibrissae often serve as tactile organs, especially in nocturnal animals and marine mammals such as seals and manatees.

Any of several long modified feathers that grow along the sides of the beak of certain birds and help trap insects caught in flight.