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Mohair entered the English language in the 16th century, spelled variously as "mocayare," "mockaire," "mokayre," and "moochary." It was borrowed from Italian mocaiarro, a word which itself was borrowed from Arabic mukhayyar. The adjective mukhayyar meant "select" or "choice." How this Arabic adjective came to be the English noun "mohair" is a bit of a mystery. It is possible that "mukhayyar" was used as a colloquial noun in the sense of "wool of prime quality" (that is, "choice wool"). In English, the shift from "mocayare" and similar spellings to "mohair" was likely influenced by the more familiar English word hair.
Examples of mohair in a Sentence
Kathryn Romeyn, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2024
It is made from a blend of 33% alpaca, 25% wool, 22% nylon and 20% mohair.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2024
Most garments made of wool, silk, cashmere, mohair, leather, spandex, fleece, or microfiber should not be washed with chlorine bleach.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2024
Re Shiu aims to be a democratic, inclusive fashion line that sells its deconstructed heavy silhouettes in natural linen, yak yarn, and mohair creations on Taobao.
—Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Mohair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mohair. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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mohair
noun
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