Standard Lemma guide

headless

adj · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈhɛdləs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛdləs
  • CMU ARPABET: HH EH1 D L AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Without a head (body part).

Synonym of decapitated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • How did the headless horseman see to chase Ichabod?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beheaded, deheaded, decapitated

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Without a head (body part).

Naturally having and needing no head.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • headless invertebrates

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Without a head (hardware or device feature).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • a headless nail; a headless set screw

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unheaded

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Without leadership.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The headless army blundered along after the death of their general, accomplishing nothing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: leaderless

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Not having a head morpheme or word.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Running without a graphical user interface; running without any attached output device (e.g., monitor) or input device (e.g., keyboard, mouse).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

Without a head of foam.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adj

Meaning 8

Heedless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

Examples

  • 1579, E. K. (Edward Kirke?), Notes on Spenser’s The Shepheardes Calender If any one will rashly blame such his choice of old and unwonted words, him may I more justly blame and condemn, either of witless headiness in judging, or of headless hardiness in condemning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adj

Meaning 9

Rimless, not having a cartridge case rim (flange).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

Examples

  • A headless shell doesn't have a flange.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective

Meaning 10

not having a head or formed without a head

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the headless horseman
  • brads are headless nails

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: headed

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

not using intelligence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brainless

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English heedles, hevedles, from Old English hēafodlēas (“headless”), equivalent to head + -less. Cognate with Dutch hoofdloos (“headless”), Danish hovedløs (“headless”), Swedish huvudlös (“headless”), Icelandic höfuðlaus (“headless”). Piecewise doublet of chefless and chiefless.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: acèfal — without a head
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無頭的 /无头的 (wútóu de) — without a head
  • Czech: bezhlavý — without a head
  • Esperanto: senkapa — without a head
  • Finnish: päätön — without a head
  • French: sans tête — without a head
  • French: acéphale — without a head
  • French: décapité — without a head
  • German: kopflos — without a head
  • Greek: ακέφαλος (akéfalos) — without a head
  • Ancient Greek: ἀκέφαλος (aképhalos) — without a head
  • Ido: senkapa — without a head
  • Lithuanian: begalvis — without a head
  • Middle English: heedles — without a head
  • Polish: bezgłowy — without a head
  • Portuguese: acéfalo — without a head
  • Russian: безголо́вый (bezgolóvyj) — without a head
  • Russian: обезгла́вленный (obezglávlennyj) — without a head
  • Scots: heidless — without a head
  • Serbo-Croatian: безглав — without a head
  • Serbo-Croatian: bezglav — without a head
  • Tamil: தலை இல்லா (talai illā) — without a head
  • Turkish: başsız — without a head
  • Welsh: pengoll — without a head
  • Welsh: di-ben — without a head
Real reading context

headless in complete knowledge articles

The Man Who Lost His Head (book) Literature & books · Accessible · 4 uses