Definition

Noun: 1. A lock of hair growing or falling over the forehead: A section of hair, especially on a human, that hangs down over the forehead. 2. A lock of a horse's mane that grows forward between the ears: The part of a horse's mane that falls forward between or over the ears.

Usage and Examples

• He brushed his forelock out of his eyes before speaking.
• The groom carefully braided the horse's forelock for the show.
• In many historical portraits, men are depicted with a curled forelock.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• The phrase "to take time by the forelock" is an idiom meaning to seize an opportunity promptly and decisively. It originates from the personification of time (often depicted as a bald man with only a forelock) being graspable only by that forelock as he runs past. For example:

Variants and Related Words

• Forelock-touching (noun, historical/figurative): An act of obsequious respect, such as pulling on one's forelock as a gesture of deference to a social superior.
• Fringe (noun, chiefly British English): A synonym for a human forelock, especially when cut straight across the forehead.
• Bangs (noun, chiefly North American English): A synonym for a human forelock.

Synonyms

• For humans: fringe, bangs.
• For horses: part of the mane.

Idioms and Phrases

• To take/seize time by the forelock: To act quickly and decisively to make use of an opportunity.
  • When the market shifted, the company seized time by the forelock and launched a new product line.

Noun

1. a lock of a horse's mane that grows forward between the ears
2. a lock of hair growing (or falling) over the forehead