Any of the cylindrical filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal.

synonym: hair.

Roget 205: filament, line; fiber, fibril; funicle^†, vein; hair, capillament^†, cilium, cilia, pilus, pili; tendril, gossamer; hair stroke; veinlet^†, venula^†, venule^†.    wire, string, thread, packthread, cotton, sewing silk, twine, twist, whipcord, tape, ribbon, cord, rope, yarn, hemp, oakum, jute.    strip, shred, slip, spill, list, band, fillet, fascia, ribbon, riband, roll, lath, splinter, shiver, shaving.    beard etc. (roughness) 256; ramification; strand.    ... show more

Hairlike structure especially on the surface of a cell or microorganism.