Standard Lemma guide

pigtail

noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˈpɪɡ.teɪl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The tail of a pig.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: literally

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Tobacco twisted into a string or roll.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A braided plait of hair; queue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A braided plait of hair; queue.

Either of a pair of braids or tails worn on the sides of the head.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A braided plait of hair; queue.

A hairstyle with a pair of pigtails.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A braided plait of hair; queue.

A person who wears pigtails.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: colloquial, in-plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A short length of twisted electrical wire.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, electrical, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tail

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

The flamingo flower (anthurium)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Twisted stent terminal; stent-end, usually but not necessarily a different fastened part.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To connect wires of a circuit by means of a short additional wire.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, electrical, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

a plait of braided hair

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: braid, plait, tress, twist

History

Etymology

From pig + tail.

Across languages

Translations

71 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: توكتين (tuktén) — braided plait of hair
  • Bashkir: толом (tolom) — braided plait of hair
  • Bulgarian: плитка (plitka) — braided plait of hair
  • Chinese Mandarin: 辮子 /辫子 (biànzi) — braided plait of hair
  • Danish: fletning — braided plait of hair
  • Finnish: letti — braided plait of hair
  • French: tresse — braided plait of hair
  • French: natte — braided plait of hair
  • Galician: cerceta — braided plait of hair
  • Galician: cogoteira — braided plait of hair
  • German: Zopf — braided plait of hair
  • Hebrew: צַמָּה (tzamá) — braided plait of hair
  • Hungarian: copf — braided plait of hair
  • Italian: codino — braided plait of hair
  • Japanese: 御下げ (osage) — braided plait of hair
  • Japanese: 御下げ髪 (osagegami) — braided plait of hair
  • Japanese: ピグテール (pigutēru) — braided plait of hair
  • Japanese: ツインテール (tsuintēru) — braided plait of hair
  • Korean: 양갈래 머리 (yanggallae meori) — braided plait of hair
  • Korean: 트윈테일 (teuwinteil) — braided plait of hair
  • Korean: 피그테일 (pigeuteil) — braided plait of hair
  • Macedonian: пле́тенка (plétenka) — braided plait of hair
  • Polish: warkoczyk — braided plait of hair
  • Polish: warkocz — braided plait of hair
  • Polish: kucyk — braided plait of hair
  • Polish: mysi ogonek — braided plait of hair
  • Portuguese: trança — braided plait of hair
  • Romani: chunra — braided plait of hair
  • Russian: коси́чка (kosíčka) — braided plait of hair
  • Russian: коса́ (kosá) — braided plait of hair
  • Russian: хво́стик (xvóstik) — braided plait of hair
  • Spanish: coleta — braided plait of hair
  • Spanish: trenza — braided plait of hair
  • Swedish: råttsvans — braided plait of hair
  • Tagalog: trintas — braided plait of hair
  • Tagalog: tirintas — braided plait of hair
  • Welsh: plethyn — braided plait of hair
  • Bashkir: толом (tolom) — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Bulgarian: плитка (plitka) — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Czech: culík (unbraided) — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Danish: fletning — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Danish: rottehale — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Finnish: saparo — either of two braids or ponytails
  • French: couette — either of two braids or ponytails
  • French: lulu — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Galician: cerceta — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Galician: cogoteira — either of two braids or ponytails
  • German: Haarzopf — either of two braids or ponytails
  • German: Zöpfchen — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Macedonian: пле́тенка (plétenka) — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Macedonian: ко́сичка (kósička) — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Polish: kucyk — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Portuguese: maria-chiquinha — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Portuguese: chiquinha — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Russian: коси́чка (kosíčka) — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Spanish: coleta — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Swedish: tofs — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Swedish: råttsvans — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Swedish: pippilott — either of two braids or ponytails
  • Bulgarian: тютюн за дъвчене (tjutjun za dǎvčene) — twisted piece of tobacco
  • German: Anschlussdraht — cable
  • German: Anschlussfaser — cable
  • Japanese: ピグテール (pigutēru) — cable
  • Korean: 피그테일 (pigeuteil) — cable
  • Bulgarian: свинска опашка (svinska opaška) — tail of a pig
  • Finnish: siansaparo — tail of a pig
  • German: Schweineschwanz — tail of a pig
  • Ingrian: sapara — tail of a pig
  • Macedonian: сви́нска о́пашка (svínska ópaška) — tail of a pig
  • Polish: świński ogon — tail of a pig
  • Swedish: knorr — tail of a pig