# tendril

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɛn.dɹəl/ · frequency rank #92,138

## Definitions
1. A thin, spirally coiling stem that attaches a plant to its support.
2. A hair-like tentacle.
3. Anything shaped like a tendril or coil.

## Etymology
From Middle French tendrillon (“bud, shoot, cartilage”), perhaps a diminutive of tendron (“cartilage”), from Old French tendre (“soft”) (see tender (adjective)), or else from Latin tendere (“to stretch, extend”) (see tender (verb)).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tendril