Vibrissa
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /vɪˈbɹɪsə/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Vibrissa is a noun meaning Any of the tactile whiskers on the nose of an animal such as a cat.
Meaning
Any of the tactile whiskers on the nose of an animal such as a cat.
More Meanings
- Any similar feather near the mouth of some birds.
- (anatomy, chiefly in the plural) A thick hair found inside the nostrils of humans and other mammals.
Example Sentences
There are also long hairs inside each ear and sometimes on its tip, and about a dozen very long and strong hairs—the whiskers or vibrissæ— are placed on each upper lip.
The vibrissae are coarse hairs whose follicles are located just within the nasal meatus. […] Vibrissae are present in most mammals, but their innervation and role in sensory function appears to be less pronounced in humans.
Word Forms
- vibrissae
Synonyms for vibrissa
Depending on context, synonyms include whisker.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include whisker, hair, mystacial, whiskerpad, brush, bristle.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.