- hairbreadth
-
I. noun
or hairsbreadth
Date: 1561
a very small distance or margin
II. adjective
Date: 1604
very narrow ; close <a hairbreadth escape>
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
hairbreadth
Look at other dictionaries:
Hairbreadth — Hair breadth ( br[e^]dth), Hair s breadth Hair s breadth (h[^a]rz ). The diameter or breadth of a hair; a very small distance; sometimes, definitely, the forty eighth part of an inch. [Also spelled {hairsbreadth}.] [1913 Webster] Every one could… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Hairbreadth — Hair breadth , a. Having the breadth of a hair; very narrow; as, a hairbreadth escape. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
hairbreadth — [her′bredth΄] n. an extremely small space or amount adj. very narrow; close [a hairbreadth escape] … English World dictionary
hairbreadth — also hairsbreadth, hairs breadth, hair s breadth, mid 15c., said to have been formerly a formal unit of measure equal to one forty eighth of an inch. From HAIR (Cf. hair) + BREADTH (Cf. breadth) … Etymology dictionary
hairbreadth — hair•breadth [[t]ˈhɛərˌbrɛdθ, ˌbrɛtθ[/t]] also hairsbreadth n. 1) a very small space or distance: to escape by a hairbreadth[/ex] 2) extremely narrow or close: a hairbreadth escape[/ex] • Etymology: 1400–50 … From formal English to slang
hairbreadth — noun /ˈhɛrˌbrɛdθ/ the width of a hair, a very short distance or a very small amount In short, these kind of hairbreadth missings of happiness look like the insults of Fortune, who may be considered as thus playing tricks with us, and wantonly… … Wiktionary
hairbreadth — n. = hair s breadth; (esp. attrib.: a hairbreadth escape) … Useful english dictionary
hairbreadth — /hair bredth , bretth /, n., adj. hairsbreadth. [1400 50; late ME heere brede; see HAIR, BREADTH] * * * … Universalium
hairbreadth — Synonyms and related words: ace, bit, bowshot, brief span, close quarters, close range, closeness, confinement, crack, crowdedness, earreach, earshot, gunshot, hair, hair space, hairsbreadth, incapaciousness, inch, incommodiousness, limitation,… … Moby Thesaurus
hairbreadth — (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. hazardous, narrow, close; see dangerous 1 , unsafe . n. Syn. small margin, fraction, jot; see bit 3 , hair 3 … English dictionary for students
