hair-restorer
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hair-raising experience | *He told us some hair-raising stories about his exploits as a mountaineer.*
**'hair-re,storer** *n* [C;U] (a) substance or liquid that is supposed to make hair grow again
**'hair's breadth** *also* **hairbreadth** *n* [S] a very short distance: *The car came careering round the bend and missed us by a hair’s breadth; it came within a hair’s breadth of hitting us.*
**'hair 'shirt** *n* a shirt made of rough uncomfortable cloth containing hair, worn formerly by religious people, especially MONKS to punish themselves
**'hair slide** *also* **slide** *BrE* || **barrette** *AmE* — *n* a small often decorative fastener that is used to keep a girl's or woman's hair in place
**'hair-,splitting** *n* [U] *derog* the act or habit of paying too much attention to small unnecessary differences and unimportant points of detail, especially in argument $\rightarrow$ see also split hairs (SPLIT$^1$)
**hair-spray** /'heəspreɪ||'her-/ *n* [U] a transparent or coloured substance used by women to keep their hairstyle in place, usually SPRAYED from an AEROSOL
**hair-spring** /'heə,sprɪŋ||'her-/ *n* a delicate spring inside a watch that helps to make the watch run evenly
**hair-style** /'heəstaɪl||'her-/ *n* the style in which someone's hair has been cut or shaped
**'hair ,trigger** *n* a TRIGGER on a gun that needs only a very gentle pressure to fire the gun: *He's got a hair-trigger temper.* (=very quickly and easily gets angry)
**hair$\cdot$y** /'heəri/ *adj* **1** having a lot of body hair: *a hairy man* | *hairy legs* | *a hairy chest* **2** *infml* frighteningly or excitingly dangerous: *It was rather hairy driving down that narrow road in the dark.* —**iness** *n* [U]
**Hai$\cdot$ti** /'heɪti/ a country in the Caribbean Sea on the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Population: 8,000,000 (2003). Capital: Port au Prince. For many years Haiti was ruled by the DICTATORS François Duvalier (known as Papa Doc) and later by his son Jean-Claude Duvalier (known as Baby Doc), but they were replaced by an elected government. In 2004, the elected president, Jean-Baptiste Aristide, was forced to leave Haiti when armed REBELS (=people who oppose and fight against people in authority) threatened to remove him from power. —**Haitian** /'heɪʃən/ *n, adj*
**haj, hadj, hajj** /hædʒ/ *n* a PILGRIMAGE (=religious journey) to Mecca, which all Muslims aim to make at least once in their lifetime
**haj$\cdot$ji, hadji** /'hædʒi/ *n* (used as a title for) a Muslim who has made a haj
**hake** /heɪk/ *n pl.* **hake** or **hakes** a sea fish used as food
**ha$\cdot$lal** /hə'lɑːl/ *n* [U] meat from an animal that has been killed in the manner approved of by Muslim law
**hal$\cdot$berd** /'hælbədl||-bərd/ *n* a weapon with a blade on a long handle, used in former times
**hal$\cdot$cy$\cdot$on days** /'hælsiən 'deɪz/ *n* [P] *especially lit* a time of peace and happiness: *She recalled with a wistful smile the halcyon days of her youth.* | *the halcyon days of full employment*
**hale** /heɪl/ *adj* **hale and hearty** (especially of an old person) very healthy and active
**Hale, Na$\cdot$than** /'neɪθən/ (1755-76) a US soldier who was caught by the British and hanged for being a SPY (=someone whose job is to find out secret information about an enemy) during the AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR. He is known for saying, before he was hanged, 'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country'.
**Ha$\cdot$ley, Bill** /'heɪli/ (1927-81) a US singer who, with his band The Comets, helped to make ROCK 'N' ROLL music popular in the 1950s. His most famous song was Rock Around the Clock, which was also the name of a film in which he and his band appeared. The film made some young people so excited that they behaved in a wild and violent way.
**half$^1$** /hɑːf||hæf/ *n, pron pl.* **halves** /hɑːvz||hævz/ **1** either of the two equal parts into which something is or could be divided; $1/2$; 50%: *Half of 50 is 25.* | *(One) half of the children study chemistry, (the other) half study Spanish.* | *Almost half of all road accidents are caused by drunkenness.* | *The company has 60 microcomputers but only half are used regularly.* | *She bought a kilo and a half (=1 1/2 kilos) of rice.* | *He cut the cake in half.* (=into two equal parts) | *You haven't heard/don't know (the) half of it yet!* (=the most surprising or shocking part has still to be told) **2** either of two parts into which something is divided: *He’s in the bottom half of the class.* | *He broke the chocolate in two and took the bigger half for himself.* | *in the latter half of the 20th century* **3** either of two equal periods into which a sports match is divided: *England scored in the second half* **4** the number $1/2$: *Three halves make $1 \frac{1}{2}$.* **5** (*pl. also* **halfs**) *BrE* half a PINT, especially of beer: *a half of lager* | *A pint and two halves, please.* **6** (*pl. also* **halfs**) *BrE* a child’s ticket: *One and two halves to Waterloo, please.* **7** (*pl. also* **halfs**) a HALFBACK **8** and a half *infml* of very good quality: *That was a meal and a half!* **9 not do sthg. by halves** completely, wholly, fully; in a HALF-HEARTED way: *I recommended that wine to him, and he bought ten cases of it; he never does anything by halves!* **10 go halves** *infml* to share something equally: *Since it was so expensive, we agreed to go halves in/on it.* (=share the cost equally) | *I'll go halves with you.* **11 past half** an hour later than the stated hour: *He went out at half past nine.* (=9:30) $\rightarrow$ see also OTHER HALF
**half$^2$** *predeterminer, adj* [A] **1** being $1/2$ in amount: *Half the boys are already here.* | *I’ve lived there half my life.* | *I waited half an hour/(a) full hour.* | *She bought half a kilo of rice.* | *She ran in the half-mile race.* | *They stood in a half circle.* | *He bought half a dozen (=six) apples.* | *She gave a sort of half smile.* (=not quite a smile) | *The buses come every hour on the half hour.* (=at 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 etc) **2** *BrE infml* half past (the stated time): *He went out at half nine.* (=9:30) $\rightarrow$ see HALF$^1$ **3 half a loaf is better than no bread** saying a small amount of something is better than none at all **4 half the battle** the biggest part of the difficulty (finished): *Persuading her it's a good idea is half the battle; once she's convinced, she'll do a good job.*
> **USAGE** **1** When $1 \frac{1}{2}$ is said as **one and a half** it is plural: *One and a half months* have passed since I saw him. But when it is said as *a ... and a half* it is usually singular: *A month and a half* has passed since I saw him. **2** In American English some people think it is better to say *a half mile* than **half a mile**.
**half$^3$** *adv* **1** partly; not completely: *These potatoes are only half cooked.* | *She looked half starved.* (=very hungry) | *He was half under the bed, with his legs sticking out.* | *a half empty bottle* **2** to an equal degree: *She was half laughing, half crying.* **3 half and half** $1/2$ one and $1/2$ the other; two equal parts of two things: *Is it made with milk or water?* — *'Half and half'.* $\rightarrow$ see also HALF-AND-HALF **4 half as much again** one-and-a-half times as much **5 not half** *BrE infml* **a)** very (much); to a great degree: *It wasn't half good!* (=it was very good) | *It isn't half windy today!* (=it's very windy) | *He didn't half complain.* | *'Was she annoyed?' - 'Not half!'* **b)** (to be) not at all: *The food's not half bad.* (=it's quite good) **6 not half as** not nearly as: *I didn't feel half as cold once they'd put the heating on.*
**'half a 'crown** *also* **half crown** *n pl.* **half crowns** (in Britain before 1971) a large silver-coloured coin, eight of which made £1 (a pound)
**,half-and-'half** *n* **1** [C;U] *BrE* a drink made of equal amounts of bitter beer and MILD (=not strong in taste) beer: *They were drinking half-and-half.* **2** [U] *AmE* a mixture of cream and milk, used for tea and coffee
**half-arsed** /ˌhɑːf 'ɑːst||ˌhæf 'ɑːrst/ *BrE* || **-assed** /-'æst/ *AmE* — *adj slang, not polite* **1** not good enough and not producing a good result: *He made a half-arsed attempt to clean up the mess he had made.* **2** stupid
**half-back** /'hɑːfbæk||'hæf-/ *also* **half** *n* **1** (in British football) a player who plays in the middle of the field, sometimes attacking and sometimes defending **2** (in American football) a player who at the start of play is behind the front line of players at the right or left of the FULLBACK
**'half-'baked** *adj infml* (especially of an idea, suggestion etc) stupid because not properly planned or thought about: *Another of her half-baked schemes!*
**,half 'board** *n* [U] *especially BrE* (in lodgings, hotels etc) the