Pileous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈpɪliəs/

Definitions

1. Having a covering of soft hair or fine down on the surface
2. Describing an object or organism that is clothed in a layer of fine hairs
3. Characterized by a surface that is hairy or covered with delicate filaments

Etymology: "Pileous" is an English adjective meaning covered in hair, and its shape comes from Latin "pilus," meaning "hair." The "-eous" ending is an adjective-forming suffix borrowed from Latin "-eus" (as in "aqueous" or "igneous"), so the word is built from a Latin noun and a suffix rather than a single inherited term. The most interesting part is that "pileous" is probably a blend rather than a straightforward formation. The standard Latin-derived adjective for hairy is "pilose" or "pilous," and "pileous" may have arisen by altering one of those forms, with the "-eous" ending replacing the more usual "-ose" or "-ous." The word is therefore a slight variant of older English terms that were already in use for the same idea.

Synonyms: hairy, furry, woolly, fluffy, bristly

Antonyms: bald, smooth, hairless