Hair Dryer: Definition, Uses, and Styling Tips

Meaning 1：hair dryer (Hair Dryer)

Hair Dryer 🔊

/ˈhɛr ˌdraɪər/

A small machine that blows hot or warm air to dry hair quickly, often used for styling.

hair dryer 🔊

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/ˈhɛr ˌdraɪər/

A handheld electrical device that blows hot or warm air to accelerate hair drying, often used for styling.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Compound of 'hair' and 'dryer'; 'dryer' is derived from 'dry' + agent noun suffix '-er'.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a dragon breathing warm air to quickly dry your wet hair after a shower.

📖 Example

After washing her hair, she grabbed the hair dryer to get ready for her online class. 🔊 After washing her hair, she grabbed the hair dryer to get ready for her online class.

🔗 Collocations

use a hair dryer – to operate a hair dryer for drying hair

blow-dry hair with a hair dryer – to dry and style hair using the device

hair dryer attachment – a nozzle or diffuser that is attached to the hair dryer

🔄 Synonyms

blow dryer (n.) – Another common name for a hair dryer, emphasizing its function of blowing air.

hairdryer (n.) – A variant spelling of 'hair dryer' with the same meaning.

drying appliance (n.) – A general term for any device used for drying, including a hair dryer.

🚫 Antonyms

air drying (n.) – The process of letting hair dry naturally without using any electrical device.

towel drying (n.) – Removing moisture from hair using a towel, as opposed to a hair dryer.

📖 Cultural Story

The first handheld hair dryer was invented in 1920 by the French stylist Alexandre Godefroy, evolving from a bulky salon tool to a compact home appliance.