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hair

/ˈhɛɚ/
nounverb

HAIR means a keratin filament or its growth, scores 7 Scrabble points, and has no anagrams.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. A pigmented filament of keratin which grows from a follicle on the skin of humans and other mammals.

  2. The collection or mass of such growths growing from the skin of humans and animals, and forming a covering for any part or the whole body.

  3. Specifically, the collection of hairs on the top and sides of the human head, growing from the scalp.

    “In the western world, women usually have long hair while men usually have short hair.”

  4. A slender outgrowth from the chitinous cuticle of insects, spiders, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. Such hairs are totally unlike those of vertebrates in structure, composition, and mode of growth.

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To remove the hair from.

  2. To grow hair (where there was a bald spot).

  3. To cause to have or bear hair; to provide with hair

  4. To string the bow for a violin.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English her, heer, hær, from Old English hǣr, from Proto-West Germanic *hār, from Proto-Germanic *hērą (“hair”), from Proto-Indo-European *kes- (“to scrape, comb”).

Similar and opposite words

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thatchmoplocks

HAIR names both an individual filament and, especially, the growth covering a person’s scalp. Its four letters are familiar, but the H supplies most of its Scrabble value: HAIR totals 7 points before any board bonuses. The word has no anagrams, yet 13 one-letter neighbours and 12 rhymes give you nearby plays and sound-alikes to consider.

HAIR at a glance

  • HAIR has 4 letters and scores 7 base points in Scrabble.
  • H contributes 4 points; A, I, and R contribute 1 each.
  • Thirteen one-letter neighbours include FAIR, PAIR, HAIL, and HEIR.
  • Twelve rhymes include FAIR, PAIR, CHAIR, REPAIR, and AFFAIR; HAIR has no anagrams.

What does HAIR mean?

Hair is a slender keratin filament that grows from a follicle in the skin of humans and other mammals. The word also names the collective growth, particularly the hair on a person’s scalp. In zoology, it can describe outgrowths on insects and other invertebrates, though those structures differ from vertebrate hair.

That range makes HAIR broader than a word for head covering alone: it can refer to one strand, a mass of growth, or an animal structure. The insect sense is less familiar, but the spelling still names an outgrowth, not the same biological structure. In everyday conversation, HAIR usually means a strand or scalp growth.

HAIR Scrabble score and word neighbours

HAIR scores 7 points before board bonuses: H is worth 4, while A, I, and R are worth 1 apiece. H supplies four of the total seven points, so it is the scoring hinge; the other three tiles add just 3 combined. The letters are not equal-value pieces, even though each is needed to keep the word intact.

The one-letter neighbours are FAIR, PAIR, HAIL, HEIR, LAIR, HAIN, MAIR, HAAR, GAIR, SAIR, VAIR, HAIK, and WAIR. FAIR and PAIR are familiar; several others are less common, so check your game’s word list before playing them. The rhyme set is different: FAIR, PAIR, CHAIR, REPAIR, AFFAIR, UNFAIR, WHEELCHAIR, DESPAIR, FLAIR, STAIR, LAIR, and ARMCHAIR share the final “air” sound.

Rhymes with hair

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One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest

Questions people ask

How many points is HAIR worth in Scrabble?
HAIR is worth 7 points in Scrabble before any board bonuses. H accounts for 4 points, while A, I, and R are worth 1 point each. That makes the H tile the main source of the word’s score, although all four letters are needed to play HAIR.
What words can you make by changing one letter in HAIR?
HAIR has 13 one-letter neighbours, including FAIR, PAIR, HAIL, HEIR, and LAIR. Other neighbours include HAIN, MAIR, HAAR, GAIR, SAIR, VAIR, HAIK, and WAIR. Some are less familiar than FAIR or PAIR, so check the word list for your game before using one.
Is HAIR an anagram of another word?
No anagrams of HAIR are included among its playable word forms. That differs from its neighbour list: changing one letter gives several alternatives, such as FAIR or HAIL, but simply rearranging H, A, I, and R does not produce another word in this set.

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