earlock

Etymology

From ear + lock.

earlock means A lock of curly hair worn by the ear, often by Jewish men for religious reasons, and formerly by Elizabethan dandies. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.

Why this word is great

EARLOCK — [Noun] A distinct lock or curl of hair, often a single, deliberate tress, worn at or just before the ear. From the Old English elements 'ēare' ("ear") and 'loc' ("lock of hair"). Unlike "sideburn," which denotes the broad, grown swath of facial hair, or "lovelock," which implies a flaunted, ornamental strand, an earlock is a marker of quiet devotion—a small, personal adherence. It is the precise, spring-coiled curl of a Hassidic boy, the solitary, oiled ringlet escaping a severe coiffure to brush a powdered cheek, or the last, stubborn hold of a childhood curl on a young man’s otherwise tamed temple—a tiny, tactile fidelity worn where the private self meets the listening world.

noun

A lock of curly hair worn by the ear, often by Jewish men for religious reasons, and formerly by Elizabethan dandies.