tress

noun

1
: a long lock of hair
especially : the long unbound hair of a woman
usually used in plural
2
archaic : a plait of hair : braid

Examples of tress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In that time, female cicadas lay up to 400 eggs, which start in tress then drop to the ground and burrow in for their long wait. USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024 To highlight the frock’s stunning bow detail, hairstylist Renato Campora slicked back her blonde tresses, and Seyfried’s makeup artist, Kate Lee, complemented the dress’ purple details with a similarly violet eye look. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 8 Jan. 2024 Substitute this on wash day for thicker-looking tresses. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2023 What helps one person regrow luscious tresses may do nothing for another. Jenny McCoy, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024 The pop star’s tresses, meanwhile, were sculpted by hair stylist Bob Recine. Christy Choi, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024 Campbell opted for straight lashes and jet black tresses, while Arnold went with black shadows and sharp blush. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 16 Jan. 2024 Rather than Capri, who was tagged in the caption, approaching to work on the actress’ tresses, however, Hough went to town on her own hair in the clip, chopping away with a coy smile. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 8 Jan. 2024 For Hollywood’s top hairstylists, using the right hair care products is just the first step toward red carpet-ready tresses. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tresse, from Anglo-French tresce

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tress was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tress

Cite this Entry

“Tress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tress. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tress

noun
: a long lock of hair

More from Merriam-Webster on tress

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!