"dreads" meaning in English

See dreads in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /dɹɛdz/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-dreads.wav Forms: dreds [alternative]
Rhymes: -ɛdz Etymology: Abbreviation of dreadlocks. Sense of “Rastafarian person” by synecdoche. Head templates: {{en-noun|p}} dreads pl (plural only)
  1. (colloquial) dreadlocks Tags: colloquial, plural, plural-only Synonyms: dreadlocks, locks Derived forms: dreadtalk, dready
    Sense id: en-dreads-en-noun-QHINzEVR Categories (other): English pluralia tantum Disambiguation of English pluralia tantum: 62 38
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: /dɹɛdz/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-dreads.wav Forms: dreads [plural], dreds [alternative]
Rhymes: -ɛdz Etymology: Abbreviation of dreadlocks. Sense of “Rastafarian person” by synecdoche. Head templates: {{en-noun|*}} dreads (plural dreads)
  1. A Rastafarian person.
    Sense id: en-dreads-en-noun-7hDCrOrJ
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Verb

IPA: /dɹɛdz/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-dreads.wav
Rhymes: -ɛdz Etymology: From dread + -s. Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|dread|s}} dread + -s Head templates: {{head|en|verb form}} dreads
  1. third-person singular simple present indicative of dread Tags: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person Form of: dread
    Sense id: en-dreads-en-verb-vFZMGRI1 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -s, Pages with 3 entries, Pages with entries, Hair Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 22 7 71 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -s: 32 5 63 Disambiguation of Pages with 3 entries: 27 4 69 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 24 2 74 Disambiguation of Hair: 18 0 82
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_text": "Abbreviation of dreadlocks. Sense of “Rastafarian person” by synecdoche.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "dreds",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "p"
      },
      "expansion": "dreads pl (plural only)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "62 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English pluralia tantum",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "dreadtalk"
        },
        {
          "word": "dready"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "dreadlocks"
      ],
      "id": "en-dreads-en-noun-QHINzEVR",
      "links": [
        [
          "dreadlocks",
          "dreadlocks"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) dreadlocks"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "dreadlocks"
        },
        {
          "word": "locks"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɹɛdz/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-dreads.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛdz"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dreads"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_text": "Abbreviation of dreadlocks. Sense of “Rastafarian person” by synecdoche.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "dreads",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dreds",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "dreads (plural dreads)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A Rastafarian person."
      ],
      "id": "en-dreads-en-noun-7hDCrOrJ",
      "links": [
        [
          "Rastafarian",
          "Rastafarian"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɹɛdz/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-dreads.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛdz"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dreads"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dread",
        "3": "s"
      },
      "expansion": "dread + -s",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From dread + -s.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "verb form"
      },
      "expansion": "dreads",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "22 7 71",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 5 63",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -s",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 4 69",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 3 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 2 74",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 0 82",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Hair",
          "orig": "en:Hair",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "form_of": [
        {
          "word": "dread"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "third-person singular simple present indicative of dread"
      ],
      "id": "en-dreads-en-verb-vFZMGRI1",
      "links": [
        [
          "dread",
          "dread#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "indicative",
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɹɛdz/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-dreads.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛdz"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dreads"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English indeclinable nouns",
    "English lemmas",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "English nouns",
    "English nouns with irregular plurals",
    "English pluralia tantum",
    "English terms suffixed with -s",
    "English verb forms",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛdz",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛdz/1 syllable",
    "en:Hair"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "dreadtalk"
    },
    {
      "word": "dready"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_text": "Abbreviation of dreadlocks. Sense of “Rastafarian person” by synecdoche.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "dreds",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "p"
      },
      "expansion": "dreads pl (plural only)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "dreadlocks"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "dreadlocks",
          "dreadlocks"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) dreadlocks"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɹɛdz/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-dreads.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛdz"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "dreadlocks"
    },
    {
      "word": "locks"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dreads"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English indeclinable nouns",
    "English lemmas",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "English nouns",
    "English nouns with irregular plurals",
    "English pluralia tantum",
    "English terms suffixed with -s",
    "English verb forms",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛdz",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛdz/1 syllable",
    "en:Hair"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_text": "Abbreviation of dreadlocks. Sense of “Rastafarian person” by synecdoche.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "dreads",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dreds",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "dreads (plural dreads)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A Rastafarian person."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Rastafarian",
          "Rastafarian"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɹɛdz/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-dreads.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛdz"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dreads"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "English terms suffixed with -s",
    "English verb forms",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛdz",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛdz/1 syllable",
    "en:Hair"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dread",
        "3": "s"
      },
      "expansion": "dread + -s",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From dread + -s.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "verb form"
      },
      "expansion": "dreads",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "form_of": [
        {
          "word": "dread"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "third-person singular simple present indicative of dread"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "dread",
          "dread#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "indicative",
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dɹɛdz/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-dreads.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-dreads.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛdz"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dreads"
}

Download raw JSONL data for dreads meaning in English (4.0kB)

{
  "called_from": "form_description/20250107",
  "msg": "Form tags without form: desc='plural plural-only', tagsets=[('plural', 'plural-only')]",
  "path": [
    "dreads"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "dreads",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.