hairball en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From hair + ball.
Meanings
- A trichobezoar; a small wad of fur or mass of hair formed in the digestive system of a cat or other animal, from hair ingested while grooming.
-
(figuratively, slang) A messy, tangled, intractable issue.
The contract negotiations are turning into a real hairball.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| hairballs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (20)
es tema peludo (intractable issue) · pl zakłaczenie (wad of fur) · de Haarballen (wad of fur) · nl haarbal (wad of fur) · fr égagropile (wad of fur) · pt bola de pelo (wad of fur) · es peludo (intractable issue) · ca bola de pèl (wad of fur) · ja 毛玉 (wad of fur) · fi karvakerä (wad of fur) · eo kaĉo (intractable issue) · es bezoar (wad of fur) · pl kłak (wad of fur) · pt pricobezoar (wad of fur) · hu köpet (wad of fur) · cmn 毛團 /毛团 (wad of fur) · eo bezoaro (wad of fur) · de Fellknäuel (wad of fur) · no hårball (wad of fur) · it borra (wad of fur)