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.

See Examples For:

dreadlocks

In a statement to USA Today, Landor said his dreadlocks are "a part of me and part of who I am".

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

Damon Landor had grown dreadlocks for nearly two decades.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

I had dreadlocks halfway down my back and wore jean shorts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

That meant artists Oscar Leon and Omri Amrany had to painstakingly join approximately 100 separate dreadlocks into the sculpture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026

Meeks scampered by, his dreadlocks flying behind him.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

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

dreadlocks

noun

plural noun

Etymology

Origin of dreadlocks

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words