pigtail

Pigtail is a term with several related senses. In everyday use it most often describes a hairstyle in which hair is divided into two sections and worn hanging down from either side of the head, or a single section gathered into a tail at the back. The word can also denote a short length of tubing or wire used to connect equipment, or a medical catheter with a curled tip shaped like a pig’s tail.

The word originates from the resemblance of the curled end to a pig’s tail and dates back to early modern English. Its application to hair likely arose from the visual likeness, while the technical senses borrowed the term for a small, coiled or flexible extension.

In hair fashion, pigtails are typically created by parting the hair down the middle and securing each side into a separate ponytail at the ends. Variations include pigtails worn high on the head, pulled forward, or styled as braids or bun-like figures. Pigtails have appeared across cultures and periods and remain common in children's dress as well as contemporary styles, where they may convey playfulness or youth.

In medicine, a pigtail catheter is a flexible tube with a curled tip used for draining fluid collections, such as pleural effusions or abscesses; the curled tip helps retain placement and resist migration.

In electronics and manufacturing, a pigtail refers to a short lead of wire or tubing attached to a device to provide a convenient connection or to join components without splicing, and is common in wiring harnesses, lighting, and plumbing applications.