tress: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Literary, poetic, formal
Quick answer
What does “tress” mean?
A long lock or braid of hair.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A long lock or braid of hair.
Refers to long, flowing hair in general; a mass of human hair, especially when arranged in an ornamental style.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. It is equally literary/archaic in both varieties.
Connotations
Evokes a romantic, classical, or slightly archaic image in both BrE and AmE.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Its use is almost exclusively confined to literary or highly descriptive prose.
Grammar
How to Use “tress” in a Sentence
Her [adjective] tressesa [adjective] tress of hairShe wore her hair in long tresses.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tress” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (archaic - not used in modern English)
American English
- (archaic - not used in modern English)
adverb
British English
- (not applicable)
American English
- (not applicable)
adjective
British English
- (not applicable)
American English
- (not applicable)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare, may appear in literary analysis or historical texts.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Not used. (In forestry/arboriculture, 'tress' is an obsolete variant of 'tree' but not in modern technical use.)
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tress”
- Using it in casual speech (e.g., 'I need to wash my tresses').
- Confusing it with the verb 'to stress' in pronunciation.
- Using it as a singular to mean all of one's hair (while possible, 'tresses' as a plural is more standard).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a literary and somewhat archaic word. It is rarely used in everyday modern English.
No. It refers to a lock, strand, or braid of hair, which is a collection of many hairs.
'Tress' typically refers to a single lock or braid. 'Tresses' is the plural and more commonly used to refer to a person's hair in general, especially long and beautiful hair.
No, they are false friends. 'Tress' comes from Old French 'tresse' (a braid of hair). 'Stress' comes from Latin 'strictus' (drawn tight).
A long lock or braid of hair.
Tress is usually literary, poetic, formal in register.
Tress: in British English it is pronounced /trɛs/, and in American English it is pronounced /trɛs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “tresses of gold (poetic for blonde hair)”
- “raven tresses (poetic for black hair)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
TRESS sounds like DRESS; think of DRESSING your long hair in beautiful TRESSES.
Conceptual Metaphor
HAIR IS A FLUID SUBSTANCE (flowing tresses), HAIR IS A VALUABLE MATERIAL (tresses of gold).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'tress' MOST appropriately used?