tendril

American  

[ten-dril] / ˈtɛn drɪl /

noun

Botany.

• tendrils
  plural

1. a threadlike, leafless organ of climbing plants, often growing in spiral form, which attaches itself to or twines round some other body, so as to support the plant.

---

tendril British  

/ ˈtɛndrɪl /

noun

1. a specialized threadlike part of a leaf or stem that attaches climbing plants to a support by twining or adhering

2. something resembling a tendril, such as a wisp of hair

---

tendril Scientific  

/ tĕn′drəl /

1. A slender, coiling plant part, often a modified leaf or leaf part, that helps support the stem of some climbing angiosperms by clinging to or winding around an object. Peas, squash, and grapes produce tendrils.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tendrillar
  adjective
• tendrilly
  adjective
• tendrilous
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tendrils
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tendril

1530–40; earlier tendrel, variant (perhaps by dissimilation) of Middle English tendren, tendron < Middle French tendron shoot, sprout, cartilage

Explanation

Plants don't have arms or tentacles, but they have something a tiny bit similar: tendrils. Tendrils are thin organs of plants that wrap around other objects for support. Tendrils are very thin, stem-like appendages that stretch outward from the plant. The main purpose of the tendrils is to support the plant: the tendrils wrap around objects (like a post or fence) to help keep the plant upright, which helps it receive sunlight. Tendrils are an example of how, even without a brain, plants are pretty smart.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tendril tendrils

A long tendril of brown hair curls down the side of her powdered face.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

A few weeks later, a wispy tendril starts out, climbing up the wooden support.

From Salon ● May 9, 2026

A few painstaking moments later and he has freed his bounty—a small caterpillar perhaps an inch long, caked in earth with a reddish tendril of fungus sprouting from its head.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 4, 2024

A twisty tendril of vapor in white-to-red ombre could be seen snaking behind a bright white light in parts of South Korea’s sky Friday evening.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 30, 2022

Like ivy twining up a wall, a tendril of fear snaked ’round Penelope’s heart.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

"There's an intestine detached from the rest of the body, surrounded by tendrils of blood vessels from the yolk."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026

Through a veil of dark hair tendrils, Audrey Cymone stares intensely into the darkened room.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2025

The tendrils of the tightly strung material connect, both physically and metaphorically, the wartime experiences documented in the photocopied pages scattered about, but they also bring to mind out-of-control cell growth and cancerous disease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025

There are still tendrils of pleasure and joy left on the internet, sure.

From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2025

Kate crawled to the edge of the hole, pushed aside some tendrils and shone her flashlight down into the darkness.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart