tendril

1 of 2

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

tendriled

2 of 2

adjective

ten·​driled

variants or tendrilled

-ld 

: having tendrils

Examples of tendril in a Sentence

Noun

A few tendrils of hair framed her face.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Her otherwise warm and neutral makeup is given intensity with a wash of forest green across and beyond her lids, where her curly tendrils just happen to hit. —Marci Robin, Allure, 8 June 2026

Kardashian wore her dark tresses in an updo with loose tendrils framing her face. —Hannah Malach, InStyle, 8 June 2026

Pea shoots are the delicate leaves, stems and tendrils of the snow pea plant. —Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 2 June 2026

Plants grow as long vines, with curly tendrils and large, lobed leaves. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

probably modification of Middle French tendron bud, cartilage, alteration of Old French tenrum, from Vulgar Latin *tenerumen, from Latin tener tender

First Known Use

Noun

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