English vocabulary · B2
Tendril
/ˈtɛn.drəl/ · n.
A tendril is a thin part of a climbing plant that curls around something to hold on. It helps the plant climb up toward the light and stay up.
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Example sentences
- The vine sent a tendril around the pole.
- A small tendril held the plant up.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- tendr — soft (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- COIL — curl into a ring (Curl Into A Ring)
- CURL — bend into a curve (Bend Into A Curve)
- VINE — climbing plant (A Plant That Climbs)
Words with the same root
tendr — soft
- tender — soft or gentle
Lesson notes
A tendril is a thin part of a climbing plant that curls around something to hold on. It helps the plant climb up toward the light and stay up.
Related: coil, curl, vine. Use tendril when a plant wraps around a support.
The vine sent a tendril around the pole. A small tendril held the plant up.
From Latin. Tendr- means soft. A soft curl holds on as a plant tendril.