cowlick means an unruly lock or section of hair that sticks straight out from the skull or lies at an angle at odds with the rest of an individual's hair, like a whorl or vortex. It carries an Arena rating of 1785, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, cowlick ranks #222 of 13,220 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #264 of 13,220 for Most Exacting Words, #284 of 13,220 for Funniest Words, #485 of 13,220 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
cowlick is pronounced /ˈkaʊˌlɪk/.
Why “cowlick” is a great word
A persistent, unruly lock of hair that grows contrary to the surrounding hair, often forming a whorl or vortex. From cow (the animal) + lick (the act of licking); from the notion that the hair appears as if licked into place by a cow. First attested in print in 1598. Unlike a “whorl”—a general spiral pattern in nature—or a “forelock”—a dutiful front lock meant to fall forward, a cowlick is a personal rebellion. It is the morning’s first act of disobedience in the mirror, the permanent part that will not be parted, the tiny cyclone on a child’s crown—a testament to the quiet, untamable forces that shape us from the very root.
Etymology
From cow + lick; as the hair may appear to have been licked into place by a cow.
noun
- An unruly lock or section of hair that sticks straight out from the skull or lies at an angle at odds with the rest of an individual's hair, like a whorl or vortex.“We would touch strangers discreetly, feathering down their cowlicks.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- elflock 83% match — A lock of hair that is tangled. vs cowlick →
- dreadlocks 81% match — A hairstyle worn by Rastafarians and others in which the hair is left to grow long, and twisted into matted strings. vs cowlick →
- earlock 81% match — A lock of curly hair worn by the ear, often by Jewish men for religious reasons, and formerly by Elizabethan dandies. vs cowlick →
- tousle 80% match — To put into disorder; to tumble; to touse; to muss. vs cowlick →
- flyaway 80% match — Disposed to fly away; unrestrained; light and free. vs cowlick →
- cornrow 79% match — One of a set of rows of tightly braided hair close to the scalp, forming a hairstyle, of African origin. vs cowlick →
- unkempt 79% match — uncombed, dishevelled. vs cowlick →
- sideburns 78% match — Facial hair reaching from the top of the head down the side of the face to the side of the chin. vs cowlick →