tendril

noun

ten·​dril ˈten-drəl 

1

: a leaf, stipule, or stem modified into a slender spirally coiling sensitive organ serving to attach a climbing plant to its support

2

: something suggestive of a tendril

creeping tendrils of fog

tendriled adjective

or tendrilled

ˈten-drəld 

tendrilous

ˈten-drə-ləs 

adjective

Illustration of tendril

• tendril 1

Examples of tendril in a Sentence

A few tendrils of hair framed her face.

Recent Examples on the Web

That scene where the tendrils are coming out of his arm, in the beginning of the second one, that’s amazing. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2025

When those tendrils come out of his arm, that is really gross. —Mitch Wallace, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

In an experiment for Science Robotics, researchers used this process to direct fungal tendrils, grown in a petri dish, to activate robots’ motors via attached electrodes. —Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 25 Oct. 2024

Her hair was teased in true Teresa fashion, with a big messy bun and face-framing tendrils. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably modification of Middle French tendron bud, cartilage, alteration of Old French tenrum, from Vulgar Latin *tenerumen, from Latin tener tender — more at tender entry 1

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

tendril

noun

ten·​dril ˈten-drəl 

1

: a slender leafless winding stem by which some climbing plants fasten themselves to a support

2

: something that curls like a tendril

tendrils of hair