also: きりがみ
noun
cut hair; haircut
General term for hair that has been cut, or the act of cutting hair. Can refer to trimmed locks or a haircut.
床屋で切り髪を掃除してもらった。
I had the cut hair cleaned up at the barber.
切り髪が肩に落ちている。
Cut hair is falling on my shoulders.
noun
widow's short hairstyle (Edo–Meiji)
Historical term for a short hairstyle worn by widows from the early modern period through the Meiji era. Not used in modern everyday language.
江戸時代、未亡人は切り髪にすることが多かった。
In the Edo period, widows often wore their hair in the kirigami style.
Variant with 切 instead of 切り; less common but still seen.
Alternate reading with rendaku; less common than きりかみ.
Compound of 切り (kiri, 'cutting') + 髪 (kami, 'hair'). The alternate reading きりがみ shows rendaku voicing of the second element.