Meaning & use
hairpiece
Last updated
UK/ˈheəpiːs/
US/ˈherpiːs/
Meaning
nouncountable
A covering or addition made of real or artificial hair, worn on the head to add volume or cover baldness.
Grammar: Takes a: he wears a hairpiece.
Patterns
- wear a hairpiece
- a hairpiece for someone
The actor wore a hairpiece for the film.
She clipped a hairpiece into her bun for the wedding.
His hairpiece blew off in the wind.
Word forms
| plural | hairpieces |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a hairpiece
- He wore a hairpiece to cover his bald spot.
- clip in a hairpiece
- She clipped in a hairpiece for volume.
- a synthetic hairpiece
- A synthetic hairpiece is cheaper than a human-hair one.
- a human-hair hairpiece
- The salon sells a human-hair hairpiece.
- a hairpiece for thinning hair
- He bought a hairpiece for thinning hair.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wig
- A wig covers the whole head, while a hairpiece may cover only part of it.
- toupee
- A toupee is specifically a small hairpiece for a man's bald spot and is often used jokingly.
- extension
- Extensions are strands added to your own hair to lengthen it, not a separate piece.
- rug
- Rug is a humorous slang word for a wig and can sound mocking.
Word family
Commonly confused: hairpiece or hairpin?
hairpiece vs hairpin
A hairpin is a small U-shaped pin to hold hair in place; a hairpiece is an artificial addition of hair.
Practice
The actor wore a _____ to look like he had thicker hair in the role.
Choose one answer.
A hairpiece adds artificial hair. A hairpin, hairnet and hairbrush are accessories but do not add hair.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hairpiece”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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