Frizz

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /fɹɪz/

Definitions

1. To cause hair to form small tight curls or waves ; a hair texture marked by tightly curled or wiry strands
2. To make strands of hair stand up in tiny curls or waves ; describing hair that is naturally or appears tightly coiled and frizzy
3. To create or have small curled or wavy shapes in hair ; a common state of hair when it is dry and crisp with unstructured curls

Etymology: The hair of a Frankish or Frisian speaker, not a fashion term, lies at the root of this word. Middle English "frysen" came from Old French "friser", meaning to curl, crisp, ruffle or braid, and that French verb probably traces to a Germanic source, perhaps through Old Frankish "fris", "curl". The Germanic adjective behind it, "frisaz", meant frizzy or curly, and the same idea shows up across the North Sea coast: Old Frisian "frisle" meant a lock of hair or a ringlet, and Old English "frīs" meant crisped or curled. Notice how much of the word's meaning is physical. Its earliest relatives describe hair itself, and even a horse's tail in North Frisian, rather than any act of styling. The noun "fryse" in Middle English arose straight from the verb, so the thing and the action were born together.

Synonyms: curl, kink, wool, tangle, ringlet

Antonyms: straighten