quiff

/kwɪf/

Other forms: quiffs

A quiff is a brushed-back curl at the front of a person's head. The Belgian comic character Tintin is instantly recognizable with his blond quiff and his white dog, Snowy.

A rockabilly hairstyle features an exaggerated quiff, a kind of cross between a pompadour and a flattop. The style first gained popularity among soldiers in the late 19th century, when the word was coined from unknown sources. Some experts guess at a connection with a regional meaning of quiff, "a puff of tobacco smoke." Others suspect a root shared with the French coiffe, or "hairstyle."

Definitions of quiff

1. noun

   a prominent forelock (especially one brushed upward from the forehead)
   type of:

   forelock

   a lock of hair growing (or falling) over the forehead