Synonyms

dreadlocks

American

[dred-loks] / ˈdrɛdˌlɒks /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

a hairstyle, especially among Rastafarians, in which the hair is worn in long, ropelike locks.

dreadlocks British

/ ˈdrɛdˌlɒks /

plural noun

hair worn in the Rastafarian style of long matted or tightly curled strands

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dreadlocks

First recorded in 1955–60; dread + lock ² + -s ³

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You can see that time-bending mash-up in the costumes, with some folks in bright plastic wigs and others in horns and mohawks and dreadlocks like 21st century cavemen.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

He presented prison guards with a copy of a 2017 court ruling stating that Rastafarians should be allowed to keep their dreadlocks in line with their religious beliefs.

From Barron's • Nov. 10, 2025

After two decades, his dreadlocks went nearly to his knees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

Damon Landor, the petitioner, wore long dreadlocks for almost 20 years as an expression of his beliefs as a Rastafarian – part of a biblical practice known as the “Nazarite vow.”

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2025

Peter slumped in his chair and hung his head so you couldn’t find his face under his dreadlocks.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023