A tangled mass of hair, superstitiously attributed to the agency of elves, esp. Queen Mab: ‘which it was not fortunate to disentangle’ (Nares).

A tangle, knot, ravel, as in the hair.

the action of main sense. In quot. 1615 concrete a matted lock.

= elf-lock, n.

(See quot. 1887.)

= tat, n.6

In African-American usage: the nape of the neck; the short hair that grows in this area, esp. in a knotted or tangled condition; a knot or tangle of…

Of the hair: matted or uncombed, as in dreadlocks. Hence of a person: wearing dreadlocks, Rastafarian, esp. in natty dread (see dread, n. 4b). Also…