beard

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
beard/bɪəd/

▶noun

• 1 a growth of hair on the chin and lower cheeks of a man's face.

  ■ an animal's growth or marking that is likened to a beard, such as the gills of an oyster.

  ■ a tuft of hairs or bristles on certain plants.

• 2 N. Amer. informal a woman who accompanies a homosexual man as an escort to a social occasion.

▶verb boldly confront or challenge (someone formidable).

– derivatives
bearded adjective,
beardless adjective.

– origin OE, of W. Gmc origin.