Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

head man

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.34 in modern English

Syllables: head- -man
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The person in charge of an organization, clan, tribe, or other group.

noun

The leader of a village.

Example Sentences

""I got influence with the Crows," Mitchell had boasted to the major back at the fort. "I was a headman among 'em.""

Etymology

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.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: heed man, hēafodmann, *haubidamann

Inflected Forms

head men (plural) headman (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

hetman

Synonyms

boss chief

Questions

What does head man mean?: The person in charge of an organization, clan, tribe, or other group.
Where does head man come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce head man

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