Meaning & use
the hairline
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Meanings
nouncountable
The line along the top of the forehead where the hair begins to grow.
Grammar: Usually used with 'the' or a possessive: 'his hairline', 'the hairline'.
Patterns
- have a high hairline
- a receding hairline
- along the hairline
He has a high hairline, so he often wears his hair forward.
The doctor examined the hairline to check for skin problems.
Her hairline is very neat and straight.
nouncountabletechnical
A very thin line or crack, especially in glass, metal, or a surface.
Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'hairline crack' or 'hairline fracture'.
Patterns
- a hairline crack
- a hairline fracture
There was a hairline crack in the windshield.
The X-ray showed a hairline fracture in his wrist.
Word forms
| plural | hairlines |
|---|
Common combinations
- receding hairline
- He is worried about his receding hairline.
- high hairline
- A high hairline can make the forehead look larger.
- hairline fracture
- She suffered a hairline fracture in her foot.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hair's breadth
- This means an extremely small distance, not the line on the forehead.
Word family
Commonly confused: the hairline or hair line?
the hairline vs hair line
Sometimes written as two words, but the standard spelling for the forehead line and thin cracks is one word: 'hairline'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Hairline' is one word and is used as a singular countable noun here. 'Hair line' is a common misspelling, and the other options are grammatically wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the hairline”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.