tress
Americannoun
-
Usually tresses. long locks or curls of hair.
-
a plait or braid of hair.
noun
-
(often plural) a lock of hair, esp a long lock of woman's hair
-
a plait or braid of hair
verb
Other Word Forms
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Tolkien Reading Day, List 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Summer of the Mariposas
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Her positive view of young people is shared by Jocelyn Tress, 88, and her husband Mark, 89.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2025
In the clip, Commanders punter Tress Way appears to ask if she’s OK, and Siemienowski smiles and seems to indicate that she’s fine.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2025
He nearly cost the team its most valuable player, punter Tress Way, with one bungled snap and then cost them an extra point on another.
From Washington Times • Dec. 18, 2023
“It’s definitely cool to kind of see just the buzz and a little bit of the glow everybody’s getting,” said punter Tress Way, the longest tenured player now going into his 10th season with Washington.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2023
Tress, by the way, has been an army surgeon.
From The Lock and Key Library Classic Mystery and Detective Stories: Modern English by Castle, Egerton
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.
