Vibrissae [viy-BRIS-uh] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, 17th century 1. (Zoology) Long stiff hairs growing around the mouth or elsewhere on the face of many mammals, used as organs of touch; whiskers. 2. (Ornithology) Coarse bristle-like feathers growing around the gape of certain insectivorous birds that catch insects in flight. Examples of vibrissae in a sentence "Cats use their vibrissae to hunt but also to sense the area around their faces." "The vibrissae on seals, walruses, and other pinnipeds are much more sensitive than the whiskers of land animals."