noun

• A ball of hair which collects in the stomach of a cat or similar animal as a result of the animal licking its coat.

  ‘To prevent hairballs, groom your cat frequently to remove loose hair.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘You can help prevent hairballs by grooming your cat frequently to remove the excess hair that will cause them.’
  • ‘If your cat continues to have trouble with hairballs, talk to your vet about what you should do to improve this.’
  • ‘Regular brushing can prevent hairballs in cats.’
  • ‘Cats form hairballs as a result of chronic grooming and hair ingestion, and they cough or vomit up the hairball when it becomes large enough to cause irritation.’
  • ‘Jim has a magical hairball that was removed from the fourth stomach of an ox.’
  • ‘Grooming a cat also reduces the risk of hairballs.’
  • ‘This sometimes results in a serious medical problem called gastric bezoar - more commonly known as a hairball - which may require surgical removal.’
  • ‘But, since I missed the fresh hairball by the bed with my bare foot with at least an inch to spare, I can't complain that the day started badly.’
  • ‘And when a reporter dared ask what the new newsroom efficiency committee was all about, it was as if a cat had coughed a hairball out on the rug.’