One of the specialized or tactile hairs which grow about the nostrils, or on other parts of the face, in many animals, as the so-called whiskers of the cat, and the hairs of the nostrils of man.
vibrare = to vibrate; hairs in nasal vestible which vibrate to air currents during snoring.
A stout, stiff and generally very long, tactile bristle growing singly or in small clusters, mostly in a few constant and well-recognized sites on the body.
a long stiff hair growing from the snout or brow of most mammals as e.g. a cat
Latin vibrare = to vibrate; hence, the hairs in the nasal vestibule which vibrate in the current of air.
the stiff hair that grows out of the tubercle of the humpback whale
in mammals, a "whisker," i.e., a stout, stiff and generally very long, tactile bristle growing singly or in small clusters, mostly in a few constant sites on the body
Vibrissae (singular: vibrissa), or whiskers, are hairs, usually specialized for tactile sensation, that grow around the nostrils or other parts of the face in most mammals.http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Vibrissae Vibrissa, medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com, undated (accessed 20 January,2007) In addition to the facial area, they can also be found on the wrists of the forelegs of cats. They are usually thicker and stiffer than other types of hair. The term is also used in reference to the stiff feathers near the mouths of some birds.
