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Synonyms

ringlet

American  
[ring-lit] / ˈrɪŋ lɪt /

noun

  1. a curled lock of hair.

  2. a small ring or circle.

  3. Astronomy. one of the thin or narrow rings that compose the major rings of Saturn.


ringlet British  
/ ˈrɪŋlɪt /

noun

  1. a lock of hair hanging down in a spiral curl

  2. any of numerous butterflies of the genus Erebia , most of which occur in S Europe and have dark brown wings marked with small black-and-white eyespots: family Satyridae

"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

Other Word Forms

  • ringleted adjective

Etymology

Origin of ringlet

First recorded in 1545–55; ring 1 + -let

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.

Glimpses of parents and children, a head of tense ringlet curls.

From Slate • Nov. 26, 2018

Ringlet by ringlet, the locks sailed to the floor.

From New York Times • Apr. 9, 2016

Over the same period the mountain ringlet has moved 490ft higher, becoming extinct at lower altitudes.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2015

Few indulgences are finer than a ringlet straight from the Krispy Kreme fryer, its sugar glaze still sticky and hot.

From Washington Post • Apr. 22, 2015

He touched her constantly, fixing a ringlet of hair that had fallen into her face, brushing a speck from her shawl, and patting her left hand with his right.

From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper