"hairball" meaning in English

See hairball in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-hairball.ogg Forms: hairballs [plural]
Etymology: From hair + ball. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|hair|ball}} hair + ball Head templates: {{en-noun}} hairball (plural hairballs)
  1. A small wad of fur or mass of hair formed in the digestive system of a cat or other animal, from hair ingested while grooming. Categories (topical): Hair Translations (wad of fur): bola de pèl [feminine] (Catalan), 毛團 (Chinese Mandarin), 毛团 (máotuán) (Chinese Mandarin), haarbal [masculine] (Dutch), bezoaro (Esperanto), karvakerä (Finnish), égagropile [masculine] (French), Fellknäuel [neuter] (German), Haarballen [masculine] (German), köpet (Hungarian), borra [feminine] (Italian), 毛玉 (Japanese), hårball (Norwegian), zakłaczenie [feminine] (Polish), kłak [masculine] (Polish), pricobezoar [masculine] (Portuguese), bola de pelo [feminine] (Portuguese), bezoar [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-hairball-en-noun-1DP3s6zV Disambiguation of Hair: 82 18 Categories (other): English endocentric compounds, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Norwegian translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English endocentric compounds: 47 53 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 68 32 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 69 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 77 23 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 83 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 63 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 66 34 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 71 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 63 37 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 67 33 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 66 34 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 67 33 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 70 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 70 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 70 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian translations: 63 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 61 39 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 53 47 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 76 24 Disambiguation of 'wad of fur': 96 4
  2. (slang, figuratively) A messy, tangled, intractable issue. Tags: figuratively, slang Translations (intractable issue): kaĉo (Esperanto), peludo [masculine] (Spanish), tema peludo [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-hairball-en-noun-gsYSe9UD Categories (other): English endocentric compounds, Terms with Portuguese translations Disambiguation of English endocentric compounds: 47 53 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 53 47 Disambiguation of 'intractable issue': 2 98
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: bezoar

Inflected forms

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  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hair",
        "3": "ball"
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      "expansion": "hair + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From hair + ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "hairballs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "hairball (plural hairballs)",
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          "_dis": "68 32",
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          "_dis": "69 31",
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          "_dis": "77 23",
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          "_dis": "66 34",
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          "_dis": "71 29",
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          "_dis": "63 37",
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        {
          "_dis": "67 33",
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        },
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          "_dis": "66 34",
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          "_dis": "67 33",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
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        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian translations",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "61 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Hair",
          "orig": "en:Hair",
          "parents": [
            "Body parts",
            "Body",
            "Anatomy",
            "All topics",
            "Biology",
            "Medicine",
            "Fundamental",
            "Sciences",
            "Healthcare",
            "Health"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small wad of fur or mass of hair formed in the digestive system of a cat or other animal, from hair ingested while grooming."
      ],
      "id": "en-hairball-en-noun-1DP3s6zV",
      "links": [
        [
          "wad",
          "wad"
        ],
        [
          "fur",
          "fur"
        ],
        [
          "mass",
          "mass"
        ],
        [
          "hair",
          "hair"
        ],
        [
          "digestive system",
          "digestive system"
        ],
        [
          "cat",
          "cat"
        ],
        [
          "animal",
          "animal"
        ],
        [
          "ingest",
          "ingest"
        ],
        [
          "groom",
          "groom"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "bola de pèl"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "word": "毛團"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "máotuán",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "word": "毛团"
        },
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          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "haarbal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "word": "bezoaro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "word": "karvakerä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "égagropile"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Fellknäuel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Haarballen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "word": "köpet"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "borra"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "word": "毛玉"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "word": "hårball"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "zakłaczenie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "kłak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pricobezoar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "bola de pelo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "wad of fur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "bezoar"
        }
      ]
    },
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          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
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      ],
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          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A messy, tangled, intractable issue."
      ],
      "id": "en-hairball-en-noun-gsYSe9UD",
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          "messy"
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang, figuratively) A messy, tangled, intractable issue."
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "slang"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "intractable issue",
          "word": "kaĉo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "intractable issue",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "peludo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "intractable issue",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "tema peludo"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
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      "audio": "En-au-hairball.ogg",
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  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "bezoar"
    }
  ],
  "word": "hairball"
}
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    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "en:Hair"
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      "glosses": [
        "A small wad of fur or mass of hair formed in the digestive system of a cat or other animal, from hair ingested while grooming."
      ],
      "links": [
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          "wad",
          "wad"
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        "A messy, tangled, intractable issue."
      ],
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          "tangled"
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        ]
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        "(slang, figuratively) A messy, tangled, intractable issue."
      ],
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        "slang"
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "bola de pèl"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "word": "毛團"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "máotuán",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "word": "毛团"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "haarbal"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "word": "bezoaro"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "word": "karvakerä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "égagropile"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Fellknäuel"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Haarballen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "word": "köpet"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "borra"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "word": "毛玉"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "word": "hårball"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "zakłaczenie"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "kłak"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pricobezoar"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "bola de pelo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "wad of fur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bezoar"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "intractable issue",
      "word": "kaĉo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "intractable issue",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "peludo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "intractable issue",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tema peludo"
    }
  ],
  "word": "hairball"
}

Download raw JSONL data for hairball meaning in English (4.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.