Meaning & use
hair ties
Last updated
UK/ˈheə taɪz/
US/ˈher taɪz/
Meaning
nounplural
Small rings or bands, often made of elastic, used to fasten hair.
Grammar: Plural noun; use 'a hair tie' for one.
Patterns
- a pack of hair ties
- put your hair in a hair tie
- wear hair ties
She bought a pack of colorful hair ties at the store.
He always keeps a hair tie on his wrist.
Can I borrow a hair tie? My hair is in my face.
Word forms
| singular | hair tie |
|---|
Common combinations
- elastic hair ties
- These elastic hair ties stretch easily.
- a pack of hair ties
- I need to buy a pack of hair ties.
- put your hair in a hair tie
- She put her hair in a hair tie before exercising.
- colorful hair ties
- The little girl loves colorful hair ties.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hair bands
- Very similar, but often refers to wider bands or circular bands used to hold hair back, not just small ties.
- hair elastics
- A more specific term for ties made of elastic material; 'hair ties' is more general.
- bobbles
- British informal word for hair ties; not used much in American English.
Word family
- hair tie noun
- The singular form, meaning one such band.
Commonly confused: hair ties or hair band?
hair ties vs hair band
A hair band can be a rigid or flexible band worn over the head, while a hair tie is usually a small elastic ring.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Hair tie' is the singular countable noun, so it needs 'a'. Option 1 uses a plural with 'a', option 3 uses 'some' with a singular count noun, and option 4 is missing an article.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hair ties”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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