cowlick
/ˈkaʊˌlɪk/
noun
Origin
English
cow + lick — a patch of hair that looks as though a cow had licked it
Overview
Meaning Now
- A section of hair that grows in a direction different from the rest of the hair and resists being combed flat.
Literal older meaning
a lick from a cow
Language path
English
Earliest form
cow-lick
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term originated from the observation that the tuft of hair on a calf's forehead often stands up or swirls because the mother cow licks the calf in that specific pattern while grooming.
Evolution
- 16th-17th century
cow-lick
“a tuft of hair on the forehead of a calf or child”
Original observation of bovine behavior applied to human hair.
Connections
Word parts
cow
root
domestic bovine animal
lick
root
passing the tongue over a surface
Explore next
Related to cowlick
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.