tress
Americannoun
-
Usually tresses. long locks or curls of hair.
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a plait or braid of hair.
noun
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(often plural) a lock of hair, esp a long lock of woman's hair
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a plait or braid of hair
verb
Other Word Forms
- tressy adjective
Etymology
Origin of tress
1250–1300; Middle English tresse < Middle French: plait or braid of hair < ?
Explanation
A tress is an old-fashioned word for a curl or braid, but it’s used more loosely now as a word for long hair. If someone admires your beautiful tresses, they love your long flowing hair. Congratulations, Rapunzel. Use the noun tress for a curl or ringlet, or as part of a head full of carefully curled tresses. Tresses has changed in meaning over the years and now refers to any hairstyle, but especially a woman’s long unbound hair. This word derives from the Old French tresse, which may stem from the Vulgar Latin trichia, "braid or rope," and the Greek root trikhia, "rope."
Vocabulary lists containing tress
myPerspectives 8.4
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 5
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Summer of the Mariposas
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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.
Fresh-cut Christmas tress can make the entire house smell festive, but they also pose a fire risk if not handled properly.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2022
Wildfires ignited by human activity spread more than twice as fast and killed more tress than those ignited by lightning, according to research presented at a 2020 meeting of the American Geophysical Union.
From New York Times • Aug. 1, 2022
Yet construction and the chopping down of tress has continued, despite the law requiring a suspension of works pending the environment court's decision.
From BBC • Nov. 26, 2021
"Planting billions of seedlings is easy. Caring for those tress as they grow, confront droughts, insects, wildfires, and logging is much more challenging."
From Salon • Sep. 19, 2021
Together, she and Shilling galloped through the tress, each racing the other and both racing the wind.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
