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DictionarytendrilCurling strand
noun

tendril

TEN-drul/ˈtendrəl/

A thin, curling strand, especially a plant growth used to cling to support.

The pea plant's slender tendril curls tightly around the wooden support.

Botanical close-up of a pea plant's slender, leafless tendril curling tightly around a narrow wooden support, with its attachment to the plant clearly visible.
Etymology
tendrilFrenchbud, shoot, cartilage

French tendrillon meant “bud, shoot, cartilage,” connecting the clinging plant organ with a shoot. Its deeper origin is uncertain: it may involve “soft,” “stretch,” or a mixture of the two.

In context

Leslie Guzman25:45
of scales on this pine cone a PE Vine climbs by wrapping itself around a pole and in the process makes a helix when the vine reaches out with its tendril
Shapes in Nature | Old Documentary | Natural Forms, Patterns, Shapes | Seashells, Plants & Animals

More examples

  • The pea plant sends out tendrils that grip the trellis.
  • A tendril of hair curls against her cheek.
  • Tendrils of smoke rise from the extinguished candle.

Forms

tendril · tendrils

Similar words

filament
A very fine thread, not necessarily curled or clinging.
wisp
A small, loose strand or tuft, often of hair.