pigtail

noun

pig·​tail ˈpig-ˌtāl 

plural pigtails

1

: tobacco in small twisted strands or rolls

2

: a lock of hair that has been gathered and banded or braided together at the back or side of the head

The hostess wore a peasant blouse and skirt and had her hair done up in a single thick pigtail …

—John Updike

—often used in the plural for a hairstyle in which two such locks or braids of hair are worn on either side of the head

a little girl in pigtails

… there's another hairstyle you should definitely try this year: Pigtails … I mean twin high ponytails that sprout from the top or sides of your head and kind of look like animal ears …

—Erica Smith

Examples of pigtail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Host Rebecca, a breezy redhead with pigtails and an expression of warm concern, brings dishes of savoy cabbage with pine flower miso and milkweed flower vinegar that have my tablemates gasping. —Blair Braverman, Outside Online, 2 Dec. 2024

She was inspired by a character of the same name, a schoolgirl with pigtails, who appeared on the covers of Korean textbooks in the ’70s and ’80s. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2024

Her 8-year-old daughter, wearing pigtails, sucked on a lollipop as the clucks of chickens cut through the quiet of the neighborhood. 1 of 2 In Georgia, agriculture is a $83.6 billion industry that supports more than 323,000 jobs, according to the Georgia Farm Bureau. —Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 4 Nov. 2024

The carousel continues to show Valentina posing outside in a pair of denim overalls, a green tee and pigtails. —Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pigtail

noun

pig·​tail -ˌtāl 

: a tight braid of hair

pigtailed

-ˌtāld

adjective