French word

cheveu

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃəvø/

Meaning

  • masculine nounhair

Example

Il y a un cheveu sur mon pull.

There is a hair on my sweater.

Illustration for cheveu (hair)

More examples

Elle a un cheveu blanc.

She has one white hair.

Core concept

One hair strand identifiable as an individual piece rather than as the whole head of hair.

Common phrases

  • un cheveu

    a hair

  • un cheveu blanc

    a white hair

  • comme un cheveu sur la soupe

    like a hair in the soup

Similar words

mèche: One or several hairs forming a strand that hangs or moves.
poil: A short, fairly stiff hair growing on a person's body or an animal.
boucle: A section of hair curled into a loop or spiral.
chevelure: The hair covering the head as a whole, particularly when plentiful or long.

Definition in French

Désigne une seule mèche ou un seul poil de la tête ; au pluriel, « cheveux » signifie la chevelure.

Word origin

French inherited cheveu from Old French chevel, which developed from the Latin noun capillus.

Usage tips

  • Body-part expressions commonly use the plural, as in se laver les cheveux and se couper les cheveux, even when each person has one head of hair.

Opposites

  • calvitiebaldnessnoun
  • alopéciealopecianoun

Related words

  • chevelurehead of hairnoun
  • cheveluhairyadjective
  • échevelédisheveledadjective

Word lists with this word