Meanings
plural head men · alternative headman
- The person in charge of an organization, clan, tribe, or other group.
"I got influence with the Crows," Mitchell had boasted to the major back at the fort. "I was a headman among 'em."
1952, Dorothy M. Johnson, The Unbeliever; in Indian Country, London: Corgi, 1961, page 30 - The leader of a village.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Proto-West Germanic*haubidamann
- Old Englishhēafodmann“leader; captain, head of a group”
- Middle Englishheed man
- Englishhead man
From Middle English heed man, from Old English hēafodmann (“leader; captain, head of a group”), from Proto-West Germanic *haubidamann, equivalent to head + man. Cognate with Dutch hoofdman (“chief; chieftain”), German Hauptmann (“captain”), Swedish huvudman (“chief; principal; leader”). Compare also English headsman. Doublet of hetman.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bengali হাজারী
- হাজারী (hazarī)leader of a village
Bulgarian вожд
- вожд (vožd)leader of a village
Czech náčelník, předák
- náčelníkleader of a village
- předákleader of a village
- vedoucíleader of a village
Finnish päämies, pää
- päämiesleader of a village
- pääleader of a village
Italian capo villaggio
- capo villaggioleader of a village
Polish sołtys, sołtyska
- sołtysleader of a village
- sołtyskaleader of a village
Russian ста́роста
- ста́роста (stárosta)leader of a village
Swahili jumbe
- jumbeleader of a village
Ukrainian голова́
- голова́ (holová)leader of a village
Cite this entry
head man. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20man
“head man.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20man. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “head man,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20man.
Source: head man on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.