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.

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

The trailer saw the Mysterious Girl singer donning long dreadlocks and speaking in a Jamaican accent, which led to criticism from some viewers.

From BBC • May 18, 2025

As they approached, the door to the bookstore swung open with a jingle and out stepped a black man with gray-frosted dreadlocks tied loosely at the nape of his neck.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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