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hair dryer

hair dryer

21 1.2
A small electric device that blows warm air to dry and style hair
  • noun
  • /hɛr ˈdraɪər/
translation icon : secador de pelo
  • She used the hair dryer to quickly dry her hair before going out.
  • use a hair dryer
  • always use a hair dryer

Hey, Doctor Francis, does a hair dryer kill the coronavirus?

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Examples

  • Next, you can use a hair dryer to help make the drying time faster.

    Blog text (13)
  • All right, which one of you guys is using the hair dryer?

  • Do you have a hair dryer?

  • Somebody get me my hair dryer.

  • But I hate their hair dryers.

  • I'll go and get the hair dryer before you catch your death of cold.

  • Take care to dry between the fingers and toes and in skin folds; use a hair dryer if necessary.

    Academic text (2005)
  • We hear Lila's dramatic reading competing with the very loud sound of the hair dryer.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • "I like sitting under the hair dryer at the beauty parlor," Katy read.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The blowing hair dryers whip the women's wet hair around their heads.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

blow dryer
vshair dryer
  • US
11 2.7

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

is specifically hand-held and used on wet hair to dry and style
hairdryer
vshair dryer
4 1.0

A small machine that blows warm air to remove water from hair quickly

is hand-held and focuses on drying wet hair while also styling
hand blower
vshair dryer
1 4.2

Small electric tool that sends warm air to dry hair

is used mainly on wet hair and emphasises styling as well as drying
hair drier
vshair dryer
  • UK
1.6

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

is defined to act on wet hair specifically during drying and styling

How Fast

hair dryer
21 1.2
to towel
8 1.3

Surface Forms

hair dryer singular
hair dryers plural
hair-dryers plural
hair-dryer singular

Morphology

hair + dryer

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'hair' (strands on the head) with 'dryer' (an appliance that removes moisture), so a learner who knows both words will infer a device that dries hair. This noun compound follows a common compositional pattern found across languages, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.

Etymology

Hair dryer is very literal: it's a small electric tool that blows warm air to dry wet hair. The word dryer means 'something that makes dry', so the name means 'a device that dries hair'.