noun
marcel
mah-SEHL
noun
1
A hairstyle of deep, uniform waves created with a heated curling iron, popular in the early 20th century.
"Photos from the 1920s often show women with a fashionable marcel."
verb
1
To style hair into this kind of wave.
"The stylist marcelled her hair for the vintage photoshoot."
How to Use Marcel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA vintage waved hairstyle made with a curling iron, or the act of creating it.
Word Forms
marcelled past tense, marcels plural, marcels singular
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Etymology
Named after the technique's association with the French name Marcel, though accounts differ on exactly who invented it.