Definition

1. Noun:

   • A hairstyle characterized by deep, regular waves that are made using a heated curling iron. This style was particularly popular in the early 20th century.

2. Verb:

   • To style hair into deep, regular waves using a heated curling iron.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Her hair was styled in a perfect marcel for the vintage-themed party.
  • The photograph from the 1920s shows women with fashionable marcels.

• Verb:

  • The hairdresser offered to marcel her client's long hair.
  • She had her hair marcelled for her wedding to achieve a classic look.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical or vintage fashion contexts to describe a specific, deliberate wave pattern, as opposed to natural curls or modern digital perms.

Variants and Related Words

• Marcel wave (n): Another term for the hairstyle itself.
  • She wanted a marcel wave to complete her flapper costume.

Synonyms

• Noun: Wave, finger wave (a similar style created without heat, using fingers and lotion).
• Verb: Wave, curl (using a specific heated iron).

Notes

• The word originates from the name of François Marcel, a 19th-century French hairdresser who invented the technique. It is typically used as a countable noun (e.g., "a marcel," "marcels").

Noun

1. a hairdo characterized by deep regular waves that are made by a heated curling iron

Verb

1. make a marcel in a woman's hair