curl
n. countablen. a piece of hair that grows in a round shape. You can also use it for any object that bends into a spiral or hook shape.
n. a spiral or hooked shape formed by bending or twisting. Also refers to a single lock of hair with this shape.
She has tight curls in her hair.
The gardener used a metal curl to hold the climbing rose against the wall.
The artist studied the way light caught the tight curls of the subject's hair, rendering each spiral with precise, delicate strokes.
From metathesis of Middle English crulle (“curled, curly”), of uncertain origin but probably from an unrecorded Old English word or from Middle Dutch crul, crulle (“curl”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic kruzlǭ (“bent or crooked object, curl”), connected to krūsą (“curl”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Krulle (“curl, lock”), West Frisian krul (“curl”), Dutch krul (“curl”), German Low German Krull (“curl”), dialectal German Krolle (“curl”), Danish krølle (“curl”), Norwegian Bokmål krøll (“curl”). Related also to Saterland Frisian Kruus (“curl”), German kraus (“frizzy, crumpled, curly”), Danish krus (“curl”), Swedish krusa (“to crimp, curl”). Compare also Gothic 𐌺𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (kriustan, “to grind, crush, gnash”).