slicked-back hair; hair smoothed down
Refers to hair that has been combed or pressed flat, often with oil or water, giving a neat, controlled appearance. The term is a noun phrase describing the hairstyle itself.
He showed up at the meeting with his hair slicked back.
Slicked-back hair is a typical hairstyle of old-time salarymen.
Standard kanji spelling for this compound.
Variant with つけ in kana; less common but still seen.
Compound of 撫で付け (なでつけ, the continuative form of 撫で付ける 'to smooth down') + 髪 (かみ 'hair').