tendril

noun

ten·​dril ˈten-drəl 

1

: a leaf, stipule, or stem modified into a slender spirally coiling sensitive organ serving to attach a climbing plant to its support

2

: something suggestive of a tendril

creeping tendrils of fog

tendriled adjective

or tendrilled

ˈten-drəld 

tendrilous

ˈten-drə-ləs 

adjective

Illustration of tendril

• tendril 1

Examples of tendril in a Sentence

A few tendrils of hair framed her face.

Recent Examples on the Web

For the opening of Oyatte in early May, Lee was expecting his eight-course tasting menu to feature seasonal produce like turnips, radishes and pea tendrils, featured in a radish salad with rhubarb and poached green radishes. —Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 7 May 2026

The star opted for a jaw-dropping gown by Ashi Studio that featured an ivory corseted bodice adorned with twisted tendrils of dark hair. —Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026

Over a season or two, what began as a few hopeful tendrils becomes a green wall that filters views and invites the eye upward. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026

Their hair was neatly cut, unlike the wispy tendrils our braids ended in. —Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably modification of Middle French tendron bud, cartilage, alteration of Old French tenrum, from Vulgar Latin *tenerumen, from Latin tener tender — more at tender entry 1

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

tendril

noun

ten·​dril ˈten-drəl 

1

: a slender leafless winding stem by which some climbing plants fasten themselves to a support

2

: something that curls like a tendril

tendrils of hair