split end

noun

Definition of split end

1 : an offensive football end who lines up usually several yards to the side of the formation

2 : a hair tip that has become frayed (as from dryness) —usually used in plural

Examples of split end in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tangles, single strand knots, and split ends are characteristics of needing a trim and ends that are begging to be set free. — Lara Adekola, Teen Vogue, "How to Grow Your Natural Hair," 2 Jan. 2019 Fact: Sleeping on a silk pillowcase reduces hair breakage and split ends. — Carly Cardellino, Cosmopolitan, "Here's Why You Need to Stop Sleeping on Cotton Pillowcases," 16 Jan. 2018 Tip #2: Use Coconut Oil to Seal Hair Cuticles Sealing the damaged ends of your hair helps prevent breakage and split ends, which means softer strands and less haircuts! — Redbook, "How to Look Like You Just Left the Salon," 27 Nov. 2018 Likewise, those with enough money can afford skilled stylists to crop the split ends from their hair and tint it to glow like the sun is always shining on it. — Veronica Walsingham, SELF, "Growing Up With Less Money Than My Friends Made Me Obsessed With Having Wealthy-Looking Hair," 15 Nov. 2018 After all, a split end that breaks can lead to your hair losing length — not to mention shine, volume, and smoothness. — Blake Bakkila, Good Housekeeping, "13 Ways to Make Your Hair Grow Faster," 16 Aug. 2018 Soon after, creamy blush and a touch-and-it-will-unravel braid entered the equation, while untamed ringlets, afros of all shapes and sizes, and split ends abounded in Spring 2016. — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "9 Times Calvin Klein Turned Minimalist Beauty Into a Major Runway Moment," 11 Sep. 2018 Plus, my split ends appeared full rather than frayed — almost as if they had been freshly snipped. — Jessica Prince Erlich, The Cut, "I Found the Most Moisturizing Shampoo," 2 Feb. 2018 Schwartz, an accomplished sprinter, will likely be in the slot and either Hill and Williams could end up at flanker or split end, where Auburn has more depth. — James Crepea, AL.com, "What Auburn's wide receiver corps looks like without Eli Stove, Will Hastings," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'split end.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about split end

Dictionary Entries near split end

split-fingered fastball

Statistics for split end

Last Updated

6 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for split end

The first known use of split end was in 1955

See more words from the same year

Comments on split end

What made you want to look up split end? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

peer-to-peer

using a distributed computer network

Test Your Vocabulary

Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which came first?

sarcastic snarky

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ