[vi.bris.sa] n, pl vi.bris.sae [ML, fr. L vibrare] (ca. 1693) 1: one of the stiff hairs that are located esp. about the nostrils or on other parts of the face in many mammals and that often serve as tactile organs
2: one of the bristly feathers near the mouth of many and esp. insectivorous birds that may help to prevent the escape of insects