kıl payı, pek az (mesafe, zaman), çok yakın, ramak.
He escaped drowning by a hair's-breadth = hairsbreadth = hairbreadth: Az kaldı boğuluyordu = Boğulmasına ramak kaldı.
to be within a hair's-breadth = hairsbreadth = hairbreadth of death: ölümüne ramak kalmak.
The bullet missed him by a hair's-breadth = hairsbreadth = hairbreadth: Az kaldı vuruluyordu.
He was within a hair's-breadth = hairsbreadth = hairbreadth of bankruptcy.