rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryshockThick mass of hair
noun

shock

A thick, bushy mass of hair.

A shock of dark hair falls across his forehead.

Etymology
shockEnglisha shaggy mass

The hair sense continues an older word for a shaggy mass. Its deeper origin is uncertain; impact and grain-shock senses are not assumed to share it.

More examples

  • She brushed back her wild shock of curls.
  • The child had a thick shock of red hair.
  • His pale face stood out beneath the unruly shock.

Forms

shock · shocks

Similar words

mop
Informally a thick mass of hair.
tuft
A smaller bunch growing or standing together.