Updos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A hairstyle characterized by the hair being arranged upward, often involving twists and knots
2. The art of styling hair so that it is positioned high on the head, commonly seen at formal events
3. A type of coiffure involving the elevation and securing of hair, frequently used for special occasions and ceremonies

Etymology: "Updos" is the plural of "updo," a hairstyle in which the hair is gathered and pinned upward. The noun is built from the adverb "up" and the verb "do," so it is a straightforward compound: the same "do" that means to arrange or fix something, here applied to hair swept onto the head. The "up" half descends from Old English "up," and the "do" half from Old English "dōn," which carries the same sense of putting or setting something in a place. The compound follows the pattern of other English verb-particle pairs, where the particle names the direction and the verb names the action, as in "makeup" or "setup."

Synonyms: hairstyles, coiffs