hairwork

1 9.9

Making jewelry and small decorations from human or animal hair

noun
/ˈhɛrˌwɜrk/

Archaic

: arte del cabello

The artist displayed her intricate hairwork at the craft fair, showcasing beautiful pieces made from human hair.

Examples

She specializes in hairwork for weddings.
Victorian mourning jewelry often featured intricate hairwork as a way to remember loved ones.
She learned the delicate techniques of hairwork from her grandmother, who was an expert in the craft.
Museums sometimes display antique hairwork pieces to illustrate historical mourning customs.
Many artists create beautiful hairworks from vintage hair.
In the museum, visitors admired the delicate hairwork used to create exquisite jewelry from animal fibers.
She learned the skill of hairwork to transform strands of hair into stunning decorative items.

Surface Forms

hairwork singular

hairworks plural

Morphology

hairwork = hair + work (transparent) = hair + work

Direct compound of 'hair' + 'work' meaning craft or work made from hair; the meaning follows straightforwardly from the components.

Etymology

Hairwork is simply hair + work, meaning 'work made from hair' — think 'work with hair'. In the past people made jewelry and small keepsakes from a loved one's hair to remember them, so hairwork now means decorative objects or hairpieces made from human or animal hair.