Jheri curl

noun

ˈjer-ē- 

ˈje-rē-

variants or less commonly Jheri Curl or jheri curl

plural Jheri curls also Jheri Curls or jheri curls

: a hairstyle produced by a chemical treatment in which the hair is gently relaxed and then set in loose curls with a wet or glossy appearance

As I grew up, I became a huge Michael Jackson fan. I used to dress like him. I had a Jheri curl.

—Kevin Antunes, quoted in The Houston Chronicle

She had a … jheri curl with all the grease activator and gel that comes with it.

—Sister Souljah

… we wear shower caps to preserve the moisture in the Jheri Curl.

—Drew T. Brown III

Rodney Smith opts for an ice-cream van and a Jheri curl wig in this new video …

—Tom Ellen

also : an individual curl of hair in this style

… sporting … glistening Jheri curls.

—Lon Bing

… his hair in Jheri curls down to his shoulders …

—Hanna Pylvainen

Word History

Etymology

after Jheri (Robert William) Redding †1998 hair care products entrepreneur

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above