Friday 18 May 2012

Did you know:Meow? If you love cats, shouldn't you know the word for whiskers?


vibrissa

 [vahy-bris-uh]   

vi·bris·sa

  [vahy-bris-uh]  Show IPA
noun, plural vi·bris·sae [-bris-ee]  Show IPA.
1.
one of the stiff, bristly hairs growing about the mouth of certain animals, as a whisker of a cat.
2.
one of the long, slender, bristlelike feathers growing alongthe side of the mouth in many birds.

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

vi·bris·sal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012. 


No comments:

Post a Comment