plural pigtails
1
: tobacco in small twisted strands or rolls
2
: a lock of hair that has been gathered and banded or braided together at the back or side of the head
The hostess wore a peasant blouse and skirt and had her hair done up in a single thick pigtail …—
John Updike
—often used in the plural for a hairstyle in which two such locks or braids of hair are worn on either side of the headJohn Updikea little girl in pigtails
… there's another hairstyle you should definitely try this year: Pigtails … I mean twin high ponytails that sprout from the top or sides of your head and kind of look like animal ears …—Erica Smith
Erica SmithExamples of pigtail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Thom Browne fashion show, 2024 Jackson sported sleek pigtails, coral blush, and chocolate gloss to Thom Browne’s fashion show earlier this year.
—Akili King, Essence, 16 May 2024
Space Channel 5 Many online users have clued in on the fact that Meg’s outfits and background also take inspiration from Space Channel 5, with Meg’s pink wig and pigtails mostly-bearing similarity to Ulala, who battles aliens with dance moves.
—Solcyré Burga, TIME, 10 May 2024
Class photos shared from over the years showed Shaylee in second grade, wearing pigtails, and years later, with highlights in her hair.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
At a club outside of Dallas, Tamera W. and her friends showed up in large cowboy hats and short shorts, with their hair pulled back or in pigtails.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 1 Apr. 2024
More recently, Chinese internet users were furious over a photo on Apple’s website, featuring a customer service agent with a pigtail hairstyle, which users believed played into anti-Chinese stereotypes.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 12 Mar. 2024
Brooklyn adorably squinted at the camera in her gray Raiders dress, with her hair done in pigtails.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024
Her hair was pulled back in braided pigtails with a pair of dangling, tight braids along the side of her face.
—EW.com, 20 Feb. 2024
Sterling had her hair in two pigtails and crouched down to get at her brother's eye level.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024
Akili King, Essence, 16 May 2024
Space Channel 5 Many online users have clued in on the fact that Meg’s outfits and background also take inspiration from Space Channel 5, with Meg’s pink wig and pigtails mostly-bearing similarity to Ulala, who battles aliens with dance moves.
—Solcyré Burga, TIME, 10 May 2024
Class photos shared from over the years showed Shaylee in second grade, wearing pigtails, and years later, with highlights in her hair.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
At a club outside of Dallas, Tamera W. and her friends showed up in large cowboy hats and short shorts, with their hair pulled back or in pigtails.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 1 Apr. 2024
More recently, Chinese internet users were furious over a photo on Apple’s website, featuring a customer service agent with a pigtail hairstyle, which users believed played into anti-Chinese stereotypes.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 12 Mar. 2024
Brooklyn adorably squinted at the camera in her gray Raiders dress, with her hair done in pigtails.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024
Her hair was pulled back in braided pigtails with a pair of dangling, tight braids along the side of her face.
—EW.com, 20 Feb. 2024
Sterling had her hair in two pigtails and crouched down to get at her brother's eye level.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pigtail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pigtail
Cite this Entry
“Pigtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pigtail. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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