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

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

Her mom fixes 2-year-old Bennie’s pigtails. —Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

One of them, Ani, appears on your screen as an anime girl with blond pigtails and a revealing black dress. —Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2025

Her hairstyle can be recreated with a half-up, half-down look featuring two high pigtails. —Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pigtail

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

pigtail

noun

pig·​tail -ˌtāl 

: a tight braid of hair

pigtailed

-ˌtāld

adjective