forelock

¹

[ fawr-lok, fohr- ]

noun

1. the lock of hair that grows from the fore part of the head.
2. (of a horse) a tuft of hair above or on the forehead.

forelock

²

[ fawr-lok, fohr- ]

noun

1. a pin or flat wedge passed through a hole near the end of a threadless bolt to fasten parts together.

verb (used with object)

1. to fasten by means of a forelock.

forelock

¹

/ ˈfɔːˌlɒk /

noun

1. a lock of hair growing or falling over the forehead
2. a lock of a horse's mane that grows forwards between the ears

forelock

²

/ ˈfɔːˌlɒk /

noun

1. a wedge or peg passed through the tip of a bolt to prevent withdrawal

verb

1. tr to secure (a bolt) by means of a forelock

Word History and Origins

Origin of forelock¹

1640–50; fore- + lock ²; probably not continuous with Old English foreloccas (plural), attested once

Origin of forelock²

First recorded in 1275–1325, forelock is from the Middle English word forelok. See fore-, lock ¹

Example Sentences

Martin lacks sufficient hair to have literally tugged his forelock in Trump’s presence, but his position as supplicant — or itinerant entertainer, an Irish tradition if ever there was one — was obvious to all.

From Salon

According to the newspaper, school children were lining the route and workmen "lifted their caps and touched their forelocks in salute" as the president drove by.

From BBC

MulletChamp.com states that the mullet has a long history: “Homer even described a haircut that sounds eerily familiar in The Iliad: ‘their forelocks cropped, hair grown long at the backs.’”

From Seattle Times

One face, sporting a pale forelock, looms large.

From Washington Post

Shapovalov, a big-hitting, left-handed Canadian with a blond forelock that flops over his white bandanna, was in his first Grand Slam semifinal.

From Washington Post