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.

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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

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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.

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

From Salon ● May 9, 2026

The teapot piece has pea tendril decor, which alludes to my favorite spring garden vegetable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 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

She spent her days, her tendril, sap-green days, walking up and down, up and down, her head jerking to the beat of a drummer so distant only she could hear.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

Route 66 has its tendrils throughout SoCal, and especially in the L.A. area, winding through Pasadena, West Hollywood and culminating in Santa Monica.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

Their curious tendrils can crack the foundation of your house, and push up the pavement on your driveway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

Along the way, I’d expect more leaks and dispatches from the House Oversight Committee, as the enigma of Epstein spreads its tendrils.

From Slate ● Nov. 13, 2025

Gently and assuredly we understand the way choices seeded in the past wind their tendrils through the life of generations not yet born.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2024

I was tying the bean tendrils to the wire fence I had built when I saw a quiver in the leaves of the pumpkins.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya