hair's breadth

hair's breadth
   a common informal unit of distance. Human hairs vary considerably in width, depending on age, color, genetics, and other factors. An average hair is approximately 70 to 100 micrometers (µm) in diameter, so, as a rough standard, a hair's breadth is 100 µm or 0.1 millimeter (mm).

Dictionary of units of measurement. 2015.

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  • hair's breadth — hair’s breadth UK US noun [singular] the smallest possible distance, amount, or degree The car only missed us by a hair’s breadth. We were a hair’s breadth away from winning a fortune. Thesaurus: specific types of distancehyponym small numbers… …   Useful english dictionary

  • hair's breadth — n [singular] a very small amount or distance ▪ The bullet missed me by a hair s breadth …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Hair's breadth — Hairbreadth Hair breadth ( br[e^]dth), Hair s breadth Hair s breadth (h[^a]rz ). The diameter or breadth of a hair; a very small distance; sometimes, definitely, the forty eighth part of an inch. [Also spelled {hairsbreadth}.] [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hair's breadth — N SING: a N A hair s breadth is a very small degree or amount. The dollar fell to within a hair s breadth of its all time low... He did not swerve a hair s breadth from the decision he had made …   English dictionary

  • hair's breadth — UK / US noun [singular] the smallest possible distance, amount, or degree The car only missed us by a hair s breadth. We were a hair s breadth away from winning a fortune …   English dictionary

  • hair's-breadth — /ˈhɛəz brɛdθ / (say hairz bredth), / brɛtθ/ (say bretth) noun 1. a very small space or distance: *he had failed by a hair s breadth for a Rhodes scholarship –george johnston, 1964. –adjective 2. extremely narrow or close. –phrase 3. within a hair …  

  • hair's-breadth — noun a very small distance or space they escaped by a hair s breadth they lost the election by a whisker • Syn: ↑hairsbreadth, ↑hair, ↑whisker • Hypernyms: ↑small indefinite quantity, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • hair's breadth — noun (singular) a very small amount or distance: The bullet missed me by a hair s breadth …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • hair’s breadth —  , hairbreadth  Either is fine …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • ˈhair's ˌbreadth — noun [singular] the smallest possible distance, amount, or degree …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

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