dreadlock
dreadlock Lexical Profile
dreadlock Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A rope-like strand of hair formed by matting, braiding, or twisting, usually worn in a full hairstyle of such strands and historically associated with Rastafarian culture.
"He tucked a long dreadlock behind his ear before stepping onto the stage."
• verb
To twist, mat, or style hair into dreadlocks, or to naturally form into dreadlocks.
"She decided to dreadlock her hair after letting it grow out for two years."
Word Nuance & Usage
The noun is overwhelmingly used in the plural form 'dreadlocks' (or simply 'locs') to refer to the overall hairstyle, while the singular 'dreadlock' refers to an individual rope-like strand.
• Rhymes for dreadlock
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in mid-20th-century Jamaican English within the Rastafarian movement, combining 'dread' (signifying a holy fear and reverence for God) with 'lock' (a tress of hair).