Hairgrip

/ˈhɛərɡrɪp/ noun

Definition

A small metal clip or clasp used to hold hair in place; also called a bobby pin.

Etymology

From Old English 'hær' (hair) + 'grip' (from Old Norse 'grippa,' meaning to grasp or hold). Combined, it literally means something that grips hair.

Kelly Says

The British term 'hairgrip' and the American 'bobby pin' have different origins—'bobby pin' may come from the 'bob' hairstyle of the 1920s, while hairgrip simply describes what it does, showing how the same object gets named by different parts of the world.

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