毛|けke[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounhair
2. nounfur; wool
   飼い猫かいねこの毛けのつやが悪わるくなった。↗

   Our cat's fur has lost its luster.
3. noundown; plumage; feathers

• SynonymヘアNeutralLoanword for hair on the head or a hairstyle, as in 「ヘアスタイル」; also a euphemism for pubic hair. Mostly heard in the beauty industry.
• Synonym髪かみNeutralRefers only to hair on the head, as in 「髪を切る」; narrower in range than 「毛」 and the most common word in everyday speech.
• Synonym髪の毛かみのけNeutralAlso head hair, but more concrete than 「髪」, stressing individual strands or the hair as a whole, as in 「髪の毛が抜ける」.
• Synonym頭髪とうはつWrittenA written-register word for the hair on one's head, as in 「頭髪検査」 or 「頭髪の手入れ」.
• Synonym毛髪もうはつWrittenWritten term for hair as a general category, as in 「毛髪検査」; typical of medical testing and lab contexts.
• Synonym毛筋けすじNeutralMeans the hairline or an extremely fine detail, as in 「毛筋ほどの違い」; the point is fineness, not hair itself.
• Related髢かもじWrittenWritten term for a hairpiece or false hair added to one's own; belongs to the vocabulary of traditional hairdressing.
• Related御髪おぐしFormalHonorific for the hair of the person you are addressing or of someone held in esteem, as in 「おぐしを整える」; mostly heard when attending to someone.
• Related毛茸もうじょうWrittenWritten botanical term for the fine hairs growing on plant stems and leaves; not used for human or animal hair.
• Related被毛ひもうWrittenWritten term for the coat of hair covering an animal's body; common in talk about pets and in veterinary contexts.

Use 「毛」 as the default for hair, fur or feathers in general. For hair on the head say 「髪」 or, more concretely, 「髪の毛」; 「ヘア」 fits beauty contexts. In writing, 「頭髪」 covers head hair and 「毛髪」 is the medical term for hair generally. 「被毛」 is an animal's coat, 「毛茸」 a botanical term, 「髢」 a traditional hairpiece, 「御髪」 an honorific, and 「毛筋」 the hairline or a fine detail.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. （け）鳥類ちょうるいや哺乳類ほにゅうるいの体表たいひょうをおおう、糸いと状じょうのもの。体毛たいもう。
2. （け）髪かみ。毛髪もうはつ。
3. 数詞すうし。厘りんの十じゅう分ぶんの一いち。千せん分ぶんの一いち。毫ごう。