Crined

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kɹaɪnd/

Definitions

1. Covered with fine, delicate hairs resembling small bristles
2. Having a surface or texture characterized by thin, hairlike projections
3. Marked by the presence of tiny slender hairs or filaments on a surface

Etymology: "Crined" is a rare adjective meaning covered with hairs, and it is built from a French noun plus an English ending. The noun is Old French "crine," meaning hair of the head, which came from the Latin "crinis," hair. In English, the ending "-ed" is added to a noun to form an adjective meaning provided with or having that thing, so "crined" literally means having hair, the same pattern as "bearded" or "horned." The word is a simple formation rather than a story of shifting meaning. Its interest lies mostly in its vocabulary cousins: the same Latin root gave English "crinoline," a stiffened petticoat originally made of horsehair, and "crinkle" stands in a different family of words altogether, so do not confuse them.