hairball

[ hair-bawl ]

noun

1. a ball of hair accumulated in the stomach or intestines of a cat or other animal as a result of the animal's licking its coat.

hairball

/ ˈhɛəˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a compact mass of hair that forms in the stomach of cats, calves, etc, as a result of licking and swallowing the fur, and causes vomiting, coughing, bloat, weight loss, and depression

Word History and Origins

Origin of hairball¹

First recorded in 1705–15; hair + ball ¹

Example Sentences

I woke up in the middle of the night — in that middle part between sleep and awake — to what sounded like a cat coughing up a hairball.

From Los Angeles Times

And then he hacked up a giant hairball.

From Literature

The collection includes George Washington’s death announcement, a mummified cat and even a giant hairball.

From Seattle Times

Then one day Scout vomited up a hairball — but not just any hairball.

From Salon

Remember, you were perfectly comfortable around the smirking green hairball with an extra-small heart and the crooning skeleton in a bat bow tie.

From New York Times