burr-headed

9.6

Having very short, rough hair on the head

adjective
/ˈbɜrˌhɛdɪd/

: cabeza rapada

She ran her hand over his burr-headed scalp, surprised by how rough it felt.

Examples

The new recruit was burr-headed after the standard military haircut.
His burr-headed appearance made him stand out in the crowd of long-haired students.
He has a burr-headed style that makes him look tough.
My brother is burr-headed after his recent haircut.
The soldier's burr-headed cut was typical for new recruits during basic training.
After his burr-headed haircut, he felt cooler in the summer heat.
He decided to try a burr-headed style for a fresh and edgy look.

Synonyms

short-haired

vsburr-headed

4 1.3

Having short hair, usually about people or animals

focuses on a very closely cut head style that appears to have stiff hairs

bristly

vsburr-headed

1 4.6

Covered with short, stiff hairs that feel rough

refers to a very closely cut head style rather than a general surface feature

burrlike

vsburr-headed

9.1

Having many small hooks or bristles that stick to clothes

refers to a very closely cut head style that only appears prickly not hooked

Antonyms

long-haired

13 1.9

Having long hair

How Bristly

bristly

1 4.6

burr-headed

9.6

stubbly

2 4.4

short-haired

4 1.3

smooth

256 1.0

Surface Forms

burr-headed positive

Morphology

burr-headed = burr + head (semi-transparent) = burr + head + ed

The adjective is formed from the compound 'burr' + 'head' with the productive adjectival '-ed', but 'burr' is relatively uncommon and the phrase '...-headed' may be less familiar to some learners.

Etymology

Burr-headed comes from burr, a small, rough seed or knot that sticks to clothes, and -headed, meaning 'having a head'. So burr-headed is easy to remember: it describes hair cut very short that looks or feels rough, like a head covered in burrs, which is why it means 'having a head of very short, rough hair'.