headless
adj/ˈhɛdləs/
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.
9 senses
- 1Synonym of decapitated.
- 2Naturally having and needing no head.
- 3Without a head (hardware or device feature).
- 4Without leadership.
- 5Not having a head morpheme or word.
- 6Running without a graphical user interface; running…
- 7Without a head of foam.
- 8Heedless.
- 9Rimless, not having a cartridge case rim (flange).
› Without a head (body part).
Synonym of decapitated.
- How did the headless horseman see to chase Ichabod?
Naturally having and needing no head.
- headless invertebrates
Without a head (hardware or device feature).
- a headless nail; a headless set screw
Without leadership.
- 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 […]1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=1 to 5):
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Of a phrase or compound Not having a head morpheme or word.
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences Running without a graphical user interface; running without any attached output device (e.g., monitor) or input device (e.g., keyboard, mouse).
- /redirect. Used for console redirection in headless servers.2003, William Boswell, Inside Windows Server 2003, Addison-Wesley, →ISBN, page 62:
- Routers typically run headless, without a keyboard or monitor.2007, Carla Schroder, Linux Networking Cookbook, O’Reilly Media, published 2008, →ISBN, page 47:
1 more example
- This is not unexpected for a Windows system running as a virtual machine or a headless server,[…]2010, Charles Bell et al., MySQL High Availability: Tools for Building Robust Data Centers, O'Reilly Media, →ISBN, page 278:
Of beer Without a head of foam.
Obsolete Heedless.
- 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.1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC:
Engineering, Firearms, Government, Military, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Politics, Tools, War, Weaponry Obsolete Rimless, not having a cartridge case rim (flange).
- A headless shell doesn't have a flange.
- Derived terms
- 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