accurate to a hair
1
8.1
- idiom
- Informal
- The engineer’s calculations were accurate to a hair, guaranteeing the machine would function flawlessly.
Examples
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She measured the distance accurate to a hair, ensuring absolute precision in her experiment.
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The scientist's measurements were accurate to a hair.
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Every cut made by the jeweler was accurate to a hair to create a perfect gemstone.
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Can you ensure that your calculations are accurate to a hair?
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Every cut made by the jeweler was accurate to a hair to create a perfect gemstone.
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The engineer’s calculations were accurate to a hair, guaranteeing the machine would function flawlessly.
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She measured the distance accurate to a hair, ensuring absolute precision in her experiment.
Synonyms
993
3.2
Completely correct in every small detail
644
3.0
Exactly correct in every detail
271
3.6
Exactly correct and clear about small details
62
4.4
Exactly right about a fact or idea
60
1.0
Exactly aimed and hitting the intended point
29
6.0
Exactly right in what someone says or does
18
5.9
Exactly correct in every detail
10
4.8
Exactly correct about a fact or answer
5
7.4
Exactly right for a situation or need
1
6.8
Very exact in size, position, or timing
Antonyms
How Accurate
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'accurate' (precise) plus the measure phrase 'to a hair', where 'hair' is commonly used metaphorically to mean a very small margin; the pattern 'accurate to X' (e.g. 'accurate to an inch') makes the degree-of-precision meaning predictable. This compositional and cross-linguistically common use of a small-object-as-measure makes the overall meaning inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Accurate to a hair may come from the picture of using one thin hair as the smallest measure; if something is right down to a hair, only a hair would show any difference. So, it means 'extremely precise' or 'very exact'.