headless
Part of speech: adj
Morphological type: derivation
Topics: computing
engineering
firearms
government
human-sciences
linguistics
mathematics
military
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
politics
sciences
tools
war
weaponry
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.
Base: head
Affixes: -less
Inflected forms:
Senses:
gloss: Without a head (body part).
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: How did the headless horseman see to chase Ichabod?
gloss: Without a head (body part).
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: headless invertebrates
gloss: Without a head (hardware or device feature).
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: a headless nail;   a headless set screw
gloss: Without leadership.
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: The headless army blundered along after the death of their general, accomplishing nothing.
His forsaken soldiers, being now a headless company, and no longer an army to be feared, obtained nevertheless a reasonable composition from the Carthaginians […]
gloss: Not having a head morpheme or word.
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
gloss: Running without a graphical user interface; running without any attached output device (e.g., monitor) or input device (e.g., keyboard, mouse).
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: /redirect. Used for console redirection in headless servers.
Routers typically run headless, without a keyboard or monitor.
This is not unexpected for a Windows system running as a virtual machine or a headless server,[…]
gloss: Without a head of foam.
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
gloss: Heedless.
pos: adj
tags: 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.
THENOT: Cuddy, I wot thou kenſt little Good, / So vainly to advance thy headleſs Hood.
gloss: Rimless, not having a cartridge case rim (flange).
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
obsolete
examples: A headless shell doesn't have a flange.
Derived words: headless browser
headless chicken monster
Headless Cross
headless genitive
headless horseman
Headless Horseman
Headless Horsewoman
headless horsewoman
headless lounge
headlessly
headlessness
headless over heels
like a headless chicken
like a headless chook
run around like a headless chicken
Translations:
lang: Catalan
word: acèfal
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 無頭的 /无头的
roman: wútóu de
lang: Czech
word: bezhlavý
lang: Esperanto
word: senkapa
lang: Finnish
word: päätön
lang: French
word: sans tête
lang: French
word: acéphale
lang: French
word: décapité
lang: German
word: kopflos
lang: Greek
word: ακέφαλος
roman: akéfalos
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἀκέφαλος
roman: aképhalos
lang: Ido
word: senkapa
lang: Lithuanian
word: begalvis
lang: Middle English
word: heedles
lang: Polish
word: bezgłowy
lang: Portuguese
word: acéfalo
lang: Russian
word: безголо́вый
roman: bezgolóvyj
lang: Russian
word: обезгла́вленный
roman: obezglávlennyj
lang: Scots
word: heidless
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: безглав
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: bezglav
lang: Tamil
word: தலை இல்லா
roman: talai illā
lang: Turkish
word: başsız
lang: Welsh
word: pengoll
lang: Welsh
word: di-ben