forelock

¹ American  

[fawr-lok, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌlɒk, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

1. the lock of hair that grows from the fore part of the head.

2. (of a horse) a tuft of hair above or on the forehead.

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forelock ² American  

[fawr-lok, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌlɒk, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

1. a pin or flat wedge passed through a hole near the end of a threadless bolt to fasten parts together.

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verb (used with object)

1. to fasten by means of a forelock.

forelock ¹ British  

/ ˈfɔːˌlɒk /

noun

1. a lock of hair growing or falling over the forehead

2. a lock of a horse's mane that grows forwards between the ears

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forelock ² British  

/ ˈfɔːˌlɒk /

noun

1. a wedge or peg passed through the tip of a bolt to prevent withdrawal

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verb

1. (tr) to secure (a bolt) by means of a forelock

Etymology

Origin of forelock¹

1640–50; fore- + lock ²; probably not continuous with Old English foreloccas (plural), attested once

Origin of forelock²

First recorded in 1275–1325, forelock is from the Middle English word forelok. See fore-, lock ¹

Explanation

The part of a horse's mane that falls across the front of its face like bangs is called a forelock. It's also an old fashioned way to describe a person's bangs. Forelock comes from the Old English forelocca, from fore, "before in position," and locc, "curl or lock of hair." It originally meant simply "a lock of hair above the forehead," and in the 1800s, men commonly greeted each other by "tugging the forelock." Today people are likely to assume you're talking about a horse if you use the word forelock.

Example Sentences

Before she married the world’s most humble millionaire, Kim Kardashian had another streak of brilliance in her life: her father Robert Kardashian’s forelock.

From The Guardian • Mar. 8, 2016

With his delicate features, brimming eyes and sashaying forelock, DiCaprio was born to play romantic youth of Romeo's fetching ilk.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2016

He would have tugged a forelock if he had one.

From Washington Times • Jan. 14, 2016

The nonprofit’s success in restricting development has made big properties all the more inviting to wealthy newcomers who may or may not know a forelock from a fetlock.

From Washington Post • Apr. 10, 2015

Her coat was newly clipped and she wore a scarlet ribbon round her forelock.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell