vi·bris·sa (v
-br
s
, v-)
n. pl. vi·bris·sae (-brs
)
1. Any of the long stiff hairs that project from the snout or brow of most mammals, as the whiskers of a cat.
2. One of several long modified feathers that grow along the gape of the mouth of insect-eating birds.
[From Late Latin vibrissae, nostril hairs, from vibr
re, to vibrate; see vibrate.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
