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hairball

[ hair-bawl ]
/ ˈhɛərˌbɔl /
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noun
a ball of hair accumulated in the stomach or intestines of a cat or other animal as a result of the animal's licking its coat.
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Origin of hairball

First recorded in 1705–15; hair + ball1

Words nearby hairball

Haines City, hain't, haint blue, Haiphong, hair, hairball, hairbrained, hairbreadth, hairbrush, hairbrush cactus, hair cell
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for hairball

hairball
/ (ˈhɛəˌbɔːl) /
noun
a compact mass of hair that forms in the stomach of cats, calves, etc, as a result of licking and swallowing the fur, and causes vomiting, coughing, bloat, weight loss, and depression
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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