head word

A form of headword — A word (or compound term) used as the title of a list entry or section, particularly in a dictionary, encyclopedia, or thesaurus.

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Meanings

nounhead word (plural head words)

plural head words

  1. alternativeAlternative form of headword.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna content word that can be qualified by a modifier

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headword
Broader
content wordopen-class word

noun(grammar) the word in a grammatical constituent that plays the same grammatical role as the whole constituent

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head
Broader
word
Also see
headheadword

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

head word. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20word

MLA

“head word.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20word. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “head word,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20word.

Source: head word on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.