Tendril
/ˈtɛn.drəl/noun
A slender curling stem, thread, or appendage by which a climbing plant or some animals clings to a support.
Did you know?Tendril is ultimately tied to the same ancient Indo-European root as tense and tendon, all carrying the idea of stretching, pulling, and tautness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ten-
“to stretch, pull, extend”
Latin
Latin
tendere
“to stretch, hold out, strain”
Late Latin / Vulgar Latin
Latin
*tendrilla
“a little tendril or slender shoot”
Middle English
English
tendril
“a curling or clinging plant shoot”
Modern English
English
tendril
“a slender curling appendage used for climbing or grasping”