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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• ringleted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of ringlet

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

Example Sentences

Jérôme Kaplan’s designs bring a delightful, youthful air to the stage, particularly his graceful, rounded tutus for the swans that land just above the knee, and their white feathered caps and low, ringlet ponytails.

From New York Times • Feb. 13, 2022

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

From Slate • Nov. 26, 2018

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