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vibrissa

[vahy-bris-uh]

noun, plural vi·bris·sae

[-bris-ee] .

one of the stiff, bristly hairs growing about the mouth of certain animals, as a whisker of a cat.

one of the long, slender, bristlelike feathers growing along the side of the mouth in many birds.

Origin:
1685–95; < Medieval Latin, derivative of Latin vibrāre to shake

Related forms

vi·bris·sal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Vibrissa is always a great word to know.

So is quincunx. Does it mean:

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

vibrissa (vaɪˈbrɪsə)

—n , pl -sae
1.	any of the bristle-like sensitive hairs on the face of many mammals; a whisker
2.	any of the specialized bristle-like feathers around the beak in certain insectivorous birds

[C17: from Latin, probably from vibrāre to shake]

vi'brissal

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

vibrissa vi·bris·sa (vī-brĭs'ə, və-)
n. pl. vi·bris·sae (-brĭs'ē)

Any of the hairs growing at the anterior nares.
Any of the long, stiff hairs projecting from the anterior nares of most mammals, as cat whiskers.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

vibrissa

(vī-brĭs'ə, və-) Pronunciation Key
Plural vibrissae (vī-brĭs'ē, və-)

Any of the long, stiff, bristlelike hairs that project from the snout or brow of most mammals, as the whiskers of a cat or rat. Vibrissae often serve as tactile organs, especially in nocturnal animals and marine mammals such as seals and manatees.
Any of several long modified feathers that grow along the sides of the beak of certain birds and help trap insects caught in flight.

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Related Words

whisker

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