hairstyle
UK[ˈheəstaɪl]US[ˈherstaɪl]
n
The way in which someone's hair is cut and arranged.
Morpheme Breakdown
hair
style
hair
body filament
style
manner
Etymology
The word 'hairstyle' is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements. 'Hair', with ancient Germanic roots, refers to the raw material, while 'style', entering English via Latin and French, brings the concept of a distinctive fashion or manner. The compound logically denotes the particular manner in which one's hair is fashioned. Its formation follows a common English pattern of combining a concrete noun with an abstract noun to create a new, specific term for a concept related to personal grooming and fashion.
Analysis
Structure: hair (body filament) + style (manner)
- hair: From Old English 'hær', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German 'haar'. The core sense is a filament growing from the skin.
- style: From Latin 'stilus' (a writing instrument, manner of writing), via Old French 'estile'. The sense evolved to denote a distinctive manner or form.
Examples
She changed her hairstyle completely for the summer.
That hairstyle was very popular in the 1980s.
He went to the salon to get a new hairstyle for his job interview.