dreadlocks
nounUK /ˈdɹɛdlɒks/ · US /ˈdɹɛdˌlɑks/
Etymology Borrowed from Jamaican Creole dreadlocks, from dread (“of or relating to a dread”, adjective) (from dread (“(usually black) male member of the Rastafarian movement who wears his hair in dreadlocks”, noun), from English dread (“reverential or respectful fear; awe”), referring to the awe inspired by God) + English locks (plural of lock (“length or tuft of hair”)). The English word is analyzable as dread (“Rastafarian”, attributive) + locks.
1
Plural normally A hairstyle worn by Rastafarians and others in which the hair is left to grow long, and twisted into matted strings.
- The patient history may point to the use of tight hairstyles that put tension on the hair root or hair treatments that increase the vulnerability to traction-related damage. The physician should evaluate for a history of tight ponytails, buns, chignons, braids, twists, weaves, cornrows, dreadlocks, sisterlocks, and hair wefts in addition to the usage of religious hair coverings.2021, Oma N. Agbai, Jodie Raffi, “Hair Loss in Women of Color”, in Becky S. Li, Howard I. Maibach, editors, Ethnic Skin and Hair and Other Cultural Considerations (Updates in Clinical Dermatology), Cham, Zug, Switzerland: Springer Nature, →DOI, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 154, column 2:
- Derived terms
- dreadhawk, dreadlocked
- Related terms
- brotherlocks, sisterlocks, braids