What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Hair vs Old - What's the difference?

hair | old |

As a verb hair

is to hate.

As a noun old is

age.

hair

English

(wikipedia hair)

Noun

(but usually in singular)
  • (label) A pigmented filament of keratin which grows from a follicle on the skin of humans and other mammals.
  • *(rfdate) (Geoffrey Chaucer) (c.1343-1400):
  • *:Then read he me how Sampson lost his hairs .
  • *(rfdate) (Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599):
  • *:And draweth new delights with hoary hairs .
  • (label) The collection or mass of such growths growing from the skin of humans and animals, and forming a covering for a part of the head or for any part or the whole body.
  • :
  • *1900 , , Chapter I:
  • *:Her abundant hair , of a dark and glossy brown, was neatly plaited and coiled above an ivory column that rose straight from a pair of gently sloping shoulders, clearly outlined beneath the light muslin frock that covered them.
  • 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.
  • A cellular outgrowth of the epidermis, consisting of one or of several cells, whether pointed, hooked, knobbed, or stellated.
  • :
  • (label) Haircloth; a hair shirt.
  • * (Geoffrey Chaucer), "The Second Nun's Tale", (The Canterbury Tales) :
  • *:She, ful devout and humble in hir corage, / Under hir robe of gold, that sat ful faire, / Hadde next hir flessh yclad hir in an haire .
  • *:
  • *:Thenne vpon the morne whanne the good man had songe his masse / thenne they buryed the dede man / Thenne syr launcelot sayd / fader what shalle I do / Now sayd the good man / I requyre yow take this hayre that was this holy mans and putte it nexte thy skynne / and it shalle preuaylle the gretely
  • (label) Any very small distance, or degree; a hairbreadth.
  • :
  • Usage notes

    The word hair is usually used without article in singular number when it refers to all the hairs on one's head in general. But if it refers to more than one hair, a few hairs, then it takes the plural form without an article, and needs a plural verb. : George has (-') brown hair, but I found '''a''' hair on the sofa and suspect he's getting some gray hair' s . : George's hair is'' brown, but ''one'' hair I found ''was'' grey, so I think there ''are'' probably more grey ''hairs on his head as well. Adjectives often applied to "hair": long, short, curly, straight, dark, blonde, black, brown, red, blue, green, purple, coarse, fine, healthy, damaged, beautiful, perfect, natural, dyed.

    Derived terms

    * against the hair * bad hair day * bed hair * curl someone's hair * facial hair * fair-haired * get in somebody's hair * hair bracket * hairbreadth, hairsbreadth * hair brush, hairbrush * haircare, hair care * hair cells * hair-curling * haircut * hairdo * hairdresser * hair dryer * hair dye * hair gel * hair glove * hair lace * hairless * hair line, hairline * hair moss * hair moth * hairnet * hair of the dog * hair pencil * hairpiece * hairpin * hair plate * hair powder * hair-raising * hair seal * hair seating * hair shirt * hair sieve * hair snake * hair space * hairspray, hair spray * hair stroke * hairstyle * hair-trigger * hairy * head of hair * hide nor hair, neither hide nor hair * horsehair * keep your hair on * let one's hair down * make somebody's hair curl * make somebody's hair stand on end * not turn a hair * not worth a hair * part one's hair * pubic hair * put hair on somebody's chest * split hairs * tear one's hair out * to a hair

    Statistics

    *

    old

    English

    (wikipedia old)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.
  • :
  • *
  • *:They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.
  • #Of a living being, having lived for most of the expected years.
  • #:
  • #Of a perishable item, having existed for most, or more than its shelf life.
  • #:
  • Of an item that has been used and so is not new (unused).
  • :
  • Having existed or lived for the specified time.
  • :
  • :
  • (lb) Of an earlier time.
  • #Former, previous.
  • #:
  • #*
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.}}
  • #*1994 , Michael Grumley, Life Drawing
  • #*:But over my old life, a new life had formed.
  • #That is no longer in existence.
  • #:
  • #Obsolete; out-of-date.
  • #:
  • #Familiar.
  • #:
  • Tiresome.
  • :
  • Said of subdued colors, particularly reds, pinks and oranges, as if they had faded over time.
  • A grammatical intensifier, often used in describing something positive. (Mostly in idioms like good old, big old and little old, any old and some old.)
  • :
  • (lb) Excessive, abundant.
  • *1599 , (William Shakespeare), (Much Ado About Nothing) , :
  • *:URSULA: Madam, you must come to your uncle. Yonder's old coil at home: it is proved, my Lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the prince and Claudio mightily abused;
  • Synonyms

    * (having existed for a long period of time) ancient, long in the tooth * (having lived for many years) aged, ageing / aging, elderly, long in the tooth, on in years * (having existed or lived for the specified time) aged, of age * (former) erstwhile, ex-, former, one-time, past * (out-of-date) antiquated, obsolete (words) * See also

    Antonyms

    * (having existed for a long period of time) brand new, fresh, new * (having lived for many years) young * (former) current, latest, new

    Derived terms

    * age-old * any old * big old * good old * little old * old age * old-age * Old Akkadian * Old Armenian * Old Assyrian * old as the hills * Old Babylonian * Old Blighty * Old Bulgarian * Old Church Slavic * Old Church Slavonic * old college try * old country * Old Czech * Old Dutch * olden * Old Egyptian * Old English * old fart * old-fashioned * old flame * Old Flemish * old fogey * old franc * Old Franconian * Old Frankish * Old French * Old Frisian * Old Glory * old gold * old growth * old guard * old hand * old hat * Old High German * Old Icelandic * oldies * Old Indic * Old Indo-Aryan * Old Ionic * Old Iranian * Old Irish * old lace * old lady * Old Latin * Old Low Franconian * Old Low Frankish * Old Low German * old maid * old man * old money * Old Nick * Old Norse * Old North French * Old Norwegian * old penny * Old Persian * * Old Prussian * old regime * Old Russian * olds * old salt * old saw * Old Saxon * Old Scandinavian * old school * Old Slavic * Old Slavonic * old sweat * Old Testament * old-time * old-timer * Old Welsh * old woman * Old World * old-world * over-old * same old same old * same old story * some old * you can't put an old head on young shoulders

    Noun

    (usually used as plural)
  • People who are old; old beings; the older generation; usually used with the .
  • A civilised society should always look after the old in the community.

    Statistics

    *