vibrissa

Plural: vibrissae

Noun

• A stiff hair, typically a whisker, around an animal's mouth.
• a long stiff hair growing from the snout or brow of most mammals as e.g. a cat
• Any of the tactile whiskers on the nose of an animal such as a cat.
• Any similar feather near the mouth of some birds.
• The thick hairs found inside the nostrils of humans and other mammals.

Examples

• Like a cat’s vibrissa, his sharp gaze detected every possible hook on the board.

Synonyms

sensory hair, whisker