lovelock

9.9

A long piece of hair worn, often by men in the past, to show love

noun
/ˈlʌvˌlɒk/

Archaic

: mechón de amor

During the 17th century, it was fashionable for men to grow a lovelock as a romantic gesture.

Examples

The poet wore a lovelock to show his devotion to his beloved.
In old paintings, a gentleman might be seen with a single lovelock draped over his shoulder.
He wore a lovelock to show his devotion.
In ancient times, a lovelock symbolized love.
In old paintings, a gentleman might be seen with a single lovelock draped over his shoulder.
The poet wore a lovelock to show his devotion to his beloved.
During the 17th century, it was fashionable for men to grow a lovelock as a romantic gesture.

Synonyms

lock

vslovelock

68 3.7

A small bunch of hair that forms a curl

is a long worn strand used as a token of affection in past times

forelock

vslovelock

1 7.2

A small piece of hair that falls over the forehead

is worn long and as a token not simply falling over the forehead

sidelock

vslovelock

1 8.7

A long curl of hair worn on the side of the head for religious or cultural reasons

is worn as a personal token of affection rather than for culture or religion

scalp lock

vslovelock

9.9

A long piece of hair left on top of a shaved head, worn in some Indigenous North American cultures

is a long worn strand used as personal affection not a top cultural tuft

Surface Forms

lovelock singular

lovelocks plural

Morphology

lovelock = love + lock (semi-transparent) = love + lock

The word is clearly built from 'love' + 'lock', but the cultural sense of a romantic token of devotion is a specialized compound meaning rather than a fully literal one.

Etymology

Lovelock comes from love + lock: a 'lock' is a piece of hair, and in the 1600s some men wore a long lock of hair to show their 'love' for someone. So a lovelock is a lock of hair kept or worn as a 'token of affection'.