Definition
An extremely small distance or margin; often used in the phrase 'by a hairbreadth' to mean narrowly or by a tiny amount.
Etymology
Compound of 'hair' and 'breadth,' referring to the width of a hair as a measurement. This emerged in Middle English as a vivid way to express an impossibly small distance.
Kelly Says
A hair's width was such a precise, tiny measurement that English speakers used it as their measuring stick for 'barely' and 'almost'—our ancestors didn't have micrometers, so they used biology.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
አንድ ፀጉር ርቀት
and tsegur reqet
ARالعربية
بُعد شعرة واحدة
bu-ud shu-rah wah-dah
BNবাংলা
একটি চুলের দূরত্ব
ekti chuler dhurto
CACatalà
un pèl de cabell
oon pel deh kah-bell
CSČeština
vlákno vlasu
vlahk-no vlah-soo
DADansk
hårets bredde
harets bred-deh
DEDeutsch
Haarscharf
haars-kharf
ELΕλληνικά
το χ hair
to che
ESEspañol
pelos de un cabello
peh-lohs deh oon kay-eh-broh
FAفارسی
یک تار مو
yek taar mo
FISuomi
hiusten pituus
hiu-sten pee-toos
FRFrançais
cheveu de cheveux
sheh-vuh deh sheh-vuh
GUGU
એક વાળની અંતર
ek vaal-nee antar
HAHA
matakin gashin
ma-ta-kin gash-in
HEעברית
צל של שערה
tzal shel shareah
HIहिन्दी
एक बाल की दूरी
ek baal kee dooree
HUMagyar
szálonként
sahal-on-kente
IDBahasa Indonesia
selisih rambut
se-li-sih ram-but
IGIG
akara ọdụ
a-ka-ra oh-doo
ITItaliano
un pelo di capello
oon peh-loh dee ka-peh-loh
JA日本語
一髪の差
ichi-bin no sa
KKKK
бір теріс
bir teri-s
KMKM
កម្មវិធីមួយ
kam-mvi-thee moo-y
KO한국어
한 겹의 털
han geop-ui teol
MRMR
एक काळीची अंतर
ek kaal-ee-chee antar
MSBahasa Melayu
jarak satu helai rambut
ja-rak satu he-lai ram-but
MYမြန်မာ
တစ်ခုတည်း တစ်ခုတည်း
tit-khone-tne-yit-khone-tne
NLNederlands
haarbreedte
hahr-breyt-teh
NONorsk
hårstrek
har-strek
PLPolski
włos od włosa
vlos od vlosa
PTPortuguês
fio de cabelo
fee-oh deh kay-kah-boh
RORomână
o fir de păr
o fee-r deh pair
RUРусский
волосок от волоса
volos-ok ot volosa
SVSvenska
hårstrå
har-stroh
SWKiswahili
upande wa nywele
oo-pan-deh wa ny-we-leh
TAதமிழ்
ஒரு முடித்தொடரின் தூரம்
oor moodithotarin thooram
TEతెలుగు
ఒక జుట్టు వెడల్పు
ook jutttu vedalp
TLTL
isang hibla ng buhok
isang hibla ng boo-hok
TRTürkçe
bir saç telinin farkı
bir saht te-linin farki
UKУкраїнська
волосок від волоска
volos-ok vid volos-ka
URاردو
ایک تار کی مسافت
ek taar ki masaf
VITiếng Việt
sợi tóc
soi toc
YOYO
ẹ̀kọ́ ọ̀pọ̀
e-ko-o-po
ZH中文
一头发的距离
yī tóufa de jùlí
ZUZU
isikhathi esifana
ee-si-ka-thi eh-si-fa-na