tendril

[ ten-dril ]
See synonyms for tendril on Thesaurus.com
nounBotany.
  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.

Origin of tendril

1
1530–40; earlier tendrel, variant (perhaps by dissimilation) of Middle English tendren, tendron<Middle French tendron shoot, sprout, cartilage

Other words from tendril

  • ten·dril·lar, ten·dril·ous, adjective
  • ten·dril·ly, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for tendril

tendril

/ (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

Origin of tendril

1
C16: perhaps from Old French tendron tendril (confused with Old French tendron bud), from Medieval Latin tendō tendon

Derived forms of tendril

  • tendrillar or tendrilous, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for tendril

tendril

[ tĕndrəl ]


  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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.