vibrissa

noun, plural vi·bris·sae [vahy-bris-ee] /vaɪˈbrɪs i/.

1. one of the stiff, bristly hairs growing about the mouth of certain animals, as a whisker of a cat.
2. one of the long, slender, bristlelike feathers growing along the side of the mouth in many birds.

noun plural -sae (-siː) (usually plural)

1. any of the bristle-like sensitive hairs on the face of many mammals; a whisker
2. any of the specialized bristle-like feathers around the beak in certain insectivorous birds

n.

plural vibrissae, 1690s, from Latin vibrissa, akin to vibrare “to vibrate” (see vibrate).

n. pl. vi•bris•sae (-brĭs′ē)

1. Any of the hairs growing at the anterior nares.
2. Any of the long, stiff hairs projecting from the anterior nares of most mammals, as cat whiskers.

Plural vibrissae (vī-brĭs′ē, və-)

1. Any of the long, stiff, bristlelike hairs that project from the snout or brow of most mammals, as the whiskers of a cat or rat. Vibrissae often serve as tactile organs, especially in nocturnal animals and marine mammals such as seals and manatees.
2. Any of several long modified feathers that grow along the sides of the beak of certain birds and help trap insects caught in flight.