beard
beard / bi(ə)rd/ • n. 1. a growth of hair on the chin and lower cheeks of a man's face: he had a black beard. ∎ a tuft of hair on the chin of certain mammals, for example a lion or goat. ∎ an animal's growth or marking that is likened to a beard, e.g., the gills of an oyster, or the beak bristles of certain birds. ∎ a tuft of hairs or bristles on certain plants, esp. the awn of a grass.2. inf. a person who carries out a transaction, typically a bet, for someone else in order to conceal the other's identity. ∎ a person who pretends to have a romantic or sexual relationship with someone else in order to conceal the other's true sexual orientation.• v. [tr.] boldly confront or challenge (someone formidable).PHRASES: beard the lion in his den (or lair) confront or challenge someone on their own ground.DERIVATIVES: beard·ed adj. [in comb.] a gray-bearded man.beard·less adj.
