Vi·bris·sa n.; pl. Vibrissae
  1. Anat. 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.
  2. Zool. The bristlelike feathers near the mouth of many birds.
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  vibrissa
       n : a long stiff hair growing from the snout or brow of most
           mammals as e.g. a cat [syn: whisker, sensory hair]
       [also: vibrissae (pl)]