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

But the Laugh Factory incident is but one tendril of Richards’ book, albeit an important one, tying into the dangerous high-wire act of performance in general and stand-up comedy in particular.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2024

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

A tendril of something began to rise up in her stomach.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

Data provided to The Times by Melissa, a global address provider, shows that most of those displaced in the two fires stayed close to home but they also spread tendrils across the country.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026

But for anyone who’s tangled with an eating disorder — and the way its tendrils quietly siphon joy from even the simplest routines — it is something.

From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2026

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

Nico stared at the tendrils of darkness undulating from the ruins.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan