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 headJohn Updikea 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
Erica SmithExamples of pigtail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Off-beat coifs also emerged at Walter Van Beirendonck, where models sported multilength and multicolored wigs or small pigtails atop their heads.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 27 Jan. 2026
At another home, a little girl in pigtails beamed as Amanda handed her a Target bag full of school supplies.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
The longest layers of Hadid's hair have been braided in two low pigtails, with the shortest layers left loose for a bit of shagginess.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Jan. 2026
In the end, her disobedience—forged in tandem with and in opposition to her tribe—felt unmoored without a fellow-Mitford’s pigtail to pull.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigtail
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Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 27 Jan. 2026
At another home, a little girl in pigtails beamed as Amanda handed her a Target bag full of school supplies.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
The longest layers of Hadid's hair have been braided in two low pigtails, with the shortest layers left loose for a bit of shagginess.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Jan. 2026
In the end, her disobedience—forged in tandem with and in opposition to her tribe—felt unmoored without a fellow-Mitford’s pigtail to pull.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigtail
Cite this Entry
“Pigtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pigtail. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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