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beard

beerd /bɪərd/

nounverbA1IELTS

General

The growth of hair on the chin, cheeks, and throat of a person's face.

Refers to full facial hair, as opposed to a mustache (upper lip only) or sideburns (sides of the face only).

The story behind the word. Beard is an ancient Germanic word, coming from the Old English 'beard'. It shares a common Indo-European root with the Latin 'barba' (which gives us 'barber'). It has remained virtually unchanged in meaning for millennia.

Word relationships

facial hair: Facial hair is an umbrella term that includes mustaches, goatees, and stubble, whereas beard specifically refers to hair on the chin and cheeks.
whiskers: Whiskers can refer to individual hairs of a beard or the sensory hairs of an animal, while beard refers to the collective growth.

clean-shaven: Clean-shaven means having absolutely no facial hair.

Commonly confused with

mustache: A mustache is facial hair grown exclusively on the upper lip, whereas a beard grows on the chin and cheeks.

Word family

bearded (adjective): Having a beard.
beardless (adjective): Without a beard.

Collocations

grow a beard
trim a beard
full beard
beard oil

Idioms & expressions

beard the lion in his den

Example sentences

"He decided to grow a thick, full beard to keep his face warm during the winter." Describing a person's physical appearance
"In ancient times, a long beard was often seen as a symbol of wisdom and status." A historical reference to facial hair

Memory hook

Think of a 'bear' with a thick, furry face—just like a man with a big 'beard.' A bear has a furry face.

When not to use

Do not use when referring specifically to a mustache or clean-shaven skin.

Fun facts

In 1698, Russian Emperor Peter the Great introduced a 'beard tax' to modernize Russian society, forcing men who kept their beards to carry a copper token.

Related words

trimmer, bristle, groom

Explore more words

stubble, whisker, undercut, coat, Grooming, depilation