Category:Vibrissa

Vi*bris"sa, n.; pl. Vibrissæ. Etym: [l. vibrissae, pl., the hairs in The nostrils of man, fr. vibrare to vibrate; -- so called because Touching them tickles a person, and causes him to shake his head.]

1. (anat.)

Defn: one of the specialized or tactile hairs which grow about the Nostrils, or on other parts of the face, in many animals, as the so- Called whiskers of the cat, and the hairs of the nostrils of man.

2. (zoöl.)

Defn: the bristlelike feathers near the mouth of many birds.