short-hairs
UK[ˈʃɔːtˌheəz]US[ˈʃɔːrtˌherz]
n
People who own short-haired cats, especially as a group.
n
(Finance, informal) Investors who have sold securities short and are therefore vulnerable to a short squeeze.
Morpheme Breakdown
short
hair
s
short
brief in length
hair
filament growing from skin
s
plural suffix
Etymology
The compound noun "short-hairs" is a modern English formation built from native Germanic roots. The first element, "short," derives from the Proto-Germanic skurtaz, conveying the concept of a deficient length. The second element, "hair," originates from Proto-Germanic hērą, referring to body hair. Combined, the literal meaning is "hairs that are short." This literal sense was metaphorically extended in two distinct directions. In financial slang, it came to represent investors in a vulnerable "short" position, picturing them as being figuratively "grabbed by the short hairs." Separately, in pet enthusiast communities, it was adopted as a colloquial, collective term for owners of short-haired cat breeds, directly referencing the physical trait of their pets.
Analysis
Structure: short (brief in length) + hair (filament growing from skin) + s (plural suffix)
- short: From Old English sceort, of Germanic origin, meaning "not long." Functions as an adjective modifying the noun.
- hair: From Old English hǣr, of Germanic origin, meaning "a single filament or the collective mass." Functions as the core noun.
- s: A native English plural suffix, indicating more than one.
Examples
The rally in the stock price caused panic among the short-hairs.
The cat show had separate competitions for long-hairs and short-hairs.
He's been a dedicated short-hair for years, always preferring sleek-coated breeds like the Siamese.