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Glite Dictionary
👧 Hair on forehead 🐴 Horse's front hair
forelock

forelock

1 7.2
A small piece of hair that falls over the forehead
  • noun
  • /ˈfɔrˌlɑk/
translation icon : mechón
  • He looked over at Larissa, touched his forelock in a casual salute, and left.
  • tugged at his forelock
  • forelock of hair
  • touched his forelock

Examples

  • The deliveryman tugged at his forelock and disappeared.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • His forelock was bone white, in sharp contrast to his rusty hair.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • For a moment, I thought he was going to tug at his forelock.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • A forelock droops over Lincoln's eyes.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Jim looked at us, his graying forelocks lifted from his brow on a breeze.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Myrddin gave the man a small coin which he bit before touching his hand to his forelock and departing for the tavern.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Handsome Jack touched his greasy forelock and left, licking his lips at the thought of Brock's fine food.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • His jet-black hair sweeps out over his forehead in a roguishly pompadoured mat; one forelock droops and bounces across his forehead.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Bruce was tall and dark, with a forelock that fell over one eye.

  • Hastily, he bowed, pulled off his woolen cap, and touched his forelock.

Synonyms

lock
vsforelock
68 3.7

A small bunch of hair that forms a curl

is specifically the strand that grows or falls over the forehead
bang
vsforelock
  • US
42 3.4

Short hair at the front that hangs over the forehead

is the similar front strand but it grows naturally rather than being cut
fringe
vsforelock
  • UK
13 3.1

A short border of hair that hangs across the forehead

is a single falling strand rather than a trimmed border across the forehead
bangs
vsforelock
  • US
5 3.0

Hair at the front cut straight across the forehead

is instead a single natural strand that grows or falls over the forehead
tress
vsforelock
1 7.9

A long lock of hair often braided or hanging over the shoulder

is instead a front section that naturally grows or falls over the forehead

Idioms

to take time by the forelock
  • Archaic
9.9

Act quickly to grab an opportunity before it is lost

to tug (on) a forelock
  • Archaic
9.9

To show respect by lowering your head and gently pulling the hair at your forehead

Surface Forms

forelock singular
forelocks plural

Morphology

forelock = fore + lock (transparent) = fore + lock

The sense 'hair falling over the forehead' is directly described by 'fore' + 'lock'.

Etymology

Forelock comes from the old parts fore- meaning 'front' and lock meaning 'a small bunch of hair'. So for a person a forelock is a lock of hair that grows or falls over the forehead.