WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Vi*bris"sa
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [L. vibrissae, pl., the hairs in the nostrils of man, fr. vibrare to vibrate; -- so called because touching them tickles a person, and causes him to shake his head.]
Definition : 1. (Anat.)

Defn: One of the specialized or tactile hairs which grow about the nostrils, or on other parts of the face, in many animals, as the so- called whiskers of the cat, and the hairs of the nostrils of man.

2. (Zo?l.)

Defn: The bristlelike feathers near the mouth of many birds.

pl. Vibriss
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913