pigtail
Americannoun
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a braid of hair hanging down the back of the head.
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pigtails, two bunches of hair gathered and fastened on either side of the head, in braids or hanging freely.
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tobacco in a thin, twisted roll.
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Electricity.
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a short, flexible wire used in connecting a stationary terminal with a terminal having a limited range of motion.
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a short wire connected to an electric device, as a lead or ground.
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noun
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a bunch of hair or one of two bunches on either side of the face, worn loose or plaited
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a twisted roll of tobacco
Other Word Forms
- pigtailed adjective
Etymology
Origin of pigtail
Explanation
A pigtail is a section of hair tied at the back or sides of a person's head so that it sticks out a little or hangs down. Although pigs only have one, pigtails often come in pairs. Some people think pigtails and braids are two different hairstyles (and often, a single pony tail to be a third), but others just call them all pigtails. The word, an American invention, originally described a twisted piece of chewing tobacco that was thought to resemble a pig's curly tail. The hairstyle was first called pigtails in the mid-1700s.
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.
A wiry longtime martial arts practitioner who sometimes wears his hair in long pigtail braids, the 53-year-old Nguyen plays the role of firearms sensei.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2024
Mitchell sat in the centre, wearing a pink floral silk shirt, with her hair in pigtail braids under a purple beret, and carrying a cane adorned with a small bear's head.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2023
Although the servers’ pigtail stories are far from scientific, experts aren’t surprised.
From Washington Post • Sep. 21, 2022
The seat height can be adjusted via a new clamping mechanism that also serves to replace the pigtail cable to electrically couple the battery to the motor.
From The Verge • Sep. 8, 2021
Finally, I tied a white ribbon around each pigtail before twisting my hair and snapping a barrette on each end.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
