tendril
noun
ten·dril
| \ ˈten-drəl
\
\
Definition of tendril
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
Illustration of tendril
tendril 1
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Other Words from tendril
tendriled
or tendrilled \ ˈten-drəld
\
adjective
\
adjective
tendrilous
\ ˈten-drə-ləs
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of tendril in a Sentence
A few tendrils of hair framed her face.
Recent Examples on the Web
Its wispy tendrils are only visible when the rest of our star is blotted out by the moon—in a perfect alignment not just for spectacle, but for solar astronomy. — Shannon Stirone, WIRED, "Space Photos of the Week: Jupiter’s Big Storm Is Blowing Over," 10 Aug. 2019 All across India, islands of forest are shrinking, and the thin green tendrils on the map — tiger corridors — are being cut by more roads and more farms. — New York Times, "Tiger Is Beaten to Death on Video, Outraging India," 26 July 2019 Shouldn’t have been much of a surprise: Immigration is the defining issue of our time, its tendrils entangling themselves in the politics of democracies around the world. — Matthew Continetti, National Review, "Pelosi’s House of Pain," 13 July 2019 While some parade-goers adorned their faces in flamboyant makeup, others embellished their tendrils with technicolor. — Jennifer Ford, Essence, "The Best Beauty Looks From NYC Pride March," 1 July 2019 Signs of spring surround veal sweetbreads sautéed to a precise snap: fava beans, pea tendrils and rhubarb compote flavored with only enough port to tease out the sweet-bitter elements. — Bill Addison, latimes.com, "Is Spago relevant? Our critic talks through three (very different) recent meals," 27 June 2019 Tender eggplant is swathed in spicy miso, draped in springy pea tendrils, and sprinkled with bits of walnut for crunch and contrast. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "At Kamakura, dinner is part 10-course tone poem, part sake crash course," 18 June 2019 Every winter, Arctic sea ice grows around the pole, its frozen tendrils threading along northern coasts. — National Geographic, "The surprising reason polar bears need sea ice to survive," 1 Apr. 2019 Her signature—and polarizing—tendrils were not on display; instead they were pulled back along with the rest of her hair. — Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Is Meghan Markle Growing Out Her Signature Tendrils?," 5 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tendril.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for tendril
tendril
noun
English Language Learners Definition of tendril
: the thin stem of a climbing plant that attaches to walls, fences, etc.
: something that is thin and curly
See the full definition for tendril in the English Language Learners Dictionary
tendril
noun
ten·dril
| \ ˈten-drəl
\
\
Kids Definition of tendril
1
: a slender leafless winding stem by which some climbing plants attach themselves to a support
2
: something that winds like a plant's tendril
tendrils of hair
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