на волосок

I

• НА ВОЛОС; НА ВОЛОСОК both obs

[PrepP; these forms only]

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1. [adv or modif; often preceded by хоть]

⇒ (even) a little:

- (even) the slightest (tiniest) bit;

- (even) in the slightest way;

- [in limited contexts](even) by a hairbreadth (a hairs-breadth etc).

     ♦ "...Захочу ли я хоть на волос стеснять твою жизнь, твои привычки?" (Тургенев 2). "...Would I want to interfere, even in the slightest way, with your life, with your habits?" (2d).

     ♦ ...Штольц не мог уловить у ней на лице и в словах... даже искры чувства, которое хоть бы на волос выходило за границы тёплой, сердечной, но обыкновенной дружбы (Гончаров 1). ...Stolz was unable to detect in her face or her words...a spark of feeling which by a hairbreadth exceeded the limits of warm, affectionate, but ordinary friendship (1b).

2. [adv (intensif); used with negated verbs]

⇒ not at all:

- not the slightest (tiniest) bit;

- not in the least (the slightest);

- not a bit (an inch);

- [in limited contexts] not by (so much as) a hairbreadth.

II

• НА ВОЛОСОК <НА ВОЛОСКЕ, НА ВОЛОС obs> от чего{{}}

[PrepP; these forms only; subj-compl with copula (subj: usu. human or collect; prep obj: usu. от смерти, от гибели etc; usu. used with past verbs]

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⇒ one is very close (to death, ruin etc) (if used with a past-form verb, refers to danger or trouble that one has managed to avoid):

- X был на волосок от Y-a ≈ X was within a hairbreadth (a hairsbreadth etc, an inch, a whisker) of Y;

- X was a hairbreadth away (from Y);

- X escaped Y by a hairbreadth (by the skin of X's teeth);

- X was on the verge (of Y).

     ♦ Ужасной была поездка в Москву по вызову Ярославского. Вот когда я была на волосок от самоубийства! (Гинзбург 1). The journey back to Moscow at Yaroslavsky's summons was terrible. I was within a hair's breadth of suicide (1a).

     ♦ ...Из парадного вынесли Ольгу, покрытую, как покойница, клеймёной больничной простынёй, и... Лёва, враз забыв обо всём, судорожно потянулся к сестре: "Олюшка, как же это ты?" ...Но [врач] взял актёра за пуговицу плаша: "Вам, милый, не следует здесь находиться. Вы сами на волосок от этого. Максимум покоя, минимум - эмоций" (Максимов 3). ...They carried Olga out of the main door, covered with a stenciled hospital sheet, as though she were dead. ...Lyova became oblivious of everything else and drifted after his sister, shaking convulsively. "Olga, little sister, what is happening to you?"...[The doctor] took hold of the actor by a button on his raincoat. "You shouldn't be here, my dear man. You're on the verge yourself. Maximum of quiet, minimum of excitement..." (3a).