A curlicue is a fancy, decorative curl or spiral, like the swirling flourish someone might add to their signature or the twisting design on an old-fashioned iron gate. The word captures that playful, looping quality: when you write your name and add an extra swirl at the end, that's a curlicue.

You'll find curlicues in many places. Calligraphers add elaborate curlicues to their letters to make them beautiful. Baroque architecture features stone curlicues carved into doorways and columns. Even smoke rising from a candle makes curlicues as it twists through the air. A fancy birthday cake might have frosting piped in curlicues around the edges.

The word itself sounds curly and playful, which matches what it describes. Something decorated with too many curlicues might look overdone or cluttered, but the right curlicue in the right place adds elegance and personality. When your handwriting becomes rushed and messy, your letters might turn into meaningless curlicues. But when you carefully draw a single perfect spiral at the end of your artwork, that deliberate curlicue becomes your artistic signature.