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 Smith
Examples of pigtail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
TikTok is full of videos capturing the way Gracie sparks wide-eyed reactions in children, especially Black children, with her rich brown skin, sparkling eyes and puff pigtails.
—Bethonie Butler, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2024
Lawrence also wore pigtails and a cap back in May, per The Zoe Report.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 6 Sep. 2023
As lovely as hair looks when worn down with a witch hat and as timeless as a low, knotted bun à la Margaret Hamilton may be, Hudgens propounds another option: low, braided pigtails.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 13 Oct. 2023
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
TikTok is full of videos capturing the way Gracie sparks wide-eyed reactions in children, especially Black children, with her rich brown skin, sparkling eyes and puff pigtails.
—Bethonie Butler, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2024
Lawrence also wore pigtails and a cap back in May, per The Zoe Report.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 6 Sep. 2023
As lovely as hair looks when worn down with a witch hat and as timeless as a low, knotted bun à la Margaret Hamilton may be, Hudgens propounds another option: low, braided pigtails.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 13 Oct. 2023
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.
Word History
First Known Use
1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near pigtail
Cite this Entry
“Pigtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pigtail. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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