Defn: One who makes excessively nice or needless distinctions in reasoning; one who quibbles. "The caviling hairsplitter." De Quincey.
HAIRSPLITTING
Hair"split`ting, a.
Defn: Making excessively nice or trivial distinctions in reasoning; subtle. — n.
Defn: The act or practice of making trivial distinctions.
The ancient hairsplitting technicalities of special pleading. Charles
Sumner.
HAIRSPRING
Hair"spring`, n. (Horology)
Defn: The slender recoil spring which regulates the motion of the balance in a timepiece.
HAIRSTREAK
Hair"streak`, n.
Defn: A butterfly of the genus Thecla; as, the green hairstreak (T. rubi).
HAIRTAIL
Hair"tail`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any species of marine fishes of the genus Trichiurus; esp., T. lepterus of Europe and America. They are long and like a band, with a slender, pointed tail. Called also bladefish.