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hairdryer

hairdryer

4 1.0
A small machine that blows warm air to remove water from hair quickly
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛrˌdraɪər/
translation icon : secador de pelo
  • After my shower, I quickly used the hairdryer to dry my hair before heading out.

Examples

  • He turned the hairdryer on and felt the warm air blowing on his wet hair.

  • She enjoys using the hairdryer to style her hair every morning.

  • I can see myself never having to pay for a hairdryer again.

    Blog text (20)
  • Does anybody have a hairdryer?

  • It's a very fancy hairdryer.

  • When I turned on my hairdryer, I had to hit the broken plug just right to make it work.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • You really don't need to use the hairdryer.

    Blog text (32)
  • Who took my hairdryer?

  • If a pipe in your home freezes, use a hairdryer to try to thaw it.

    Blog text (18)
  • This time I went to Boots and automatically picked up the cheapest at £7.99 for a 1600W Boots Essential Hairdryer.

    Blog text (20)

Synonyms

hair dryer
vshairdryer
21 1.2

A small electric device that blows warm air to dry and style hair

is written as one word rather than two
blow dryer
vshairdryer
  • US
11 2.7

A small handheld electric device that blows warm air to dry and style hair

focuses more on drying hair quickly after washing
hand blower
vshairdryer
1 4.2

Small electric tool that sends warm air to dry hair

stresses quick drying after washing rather than hand-held feature
hair drier
vshairdryer
  • UK
1.6

A hand-held electric machine that blows warm air to dry and style hair

uses the -er spelling instead

How Fast

hairdryer
4 1.0
to blow-dry
7 2.8
to towel
8 1.3

Surface Forms

hairdryer singular
hairdryers plural

Morphology

hairdryer = hair + dryer (transparent) = hair + dryer

A straightforward compound of 'hair' + 'dryer'; learners can derive the meaning directly as a device that dries hair.

Etymology

The word hairdryer comes from two simple parts: hair, the hair on your head, and dryer, meaning 'something that makes dry', like a clothes dryer. So a hairdryer is a machine that blows warm air to make your hair dry quickly.