English Explanatory Dictionary

loggerhead

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A stupid person; a blockhead, a dolt.
  2. A metal tool consisting of a long rod with a bulbous end that is made hot in a fire, then plunged into some material (such as pitch or a liquid) to melt or heat it.
  3. A post on a whaling boat used to secure the harpoon rope.
  4. A thistle-like flowering plant of the genus Centaurea, particularly the common knapweed (Centaurea nigra).
  5. Used as the name of various animals with large heads.
  6. The loggerhead duck or Falkland steamer duck (Tachyeres brachypterus; formerly Tachyeres cinereus), a species of steamer duck endemic to the Falkland Islands.
  7. The loggerhead kingbird (Tyrannus caudifasciatus), a bird endemic to the Caribbean and West Indies.
  8. The rufous-tailed flycatcher (Myiarchus validus), a bird endemic to Jamaica.
  9. The loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), a bird endemic to North America.
  10. The loggerhead musk turtle (Sternotherus minor), a large-headed turtle endemic to the United States.
  11. The loggerhead sea turtle or loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), an oceanic turtle found throughout the world.

Pronunciation

/ˈlɒɡəhɛd/ /ˈlɔɡɚˌhɛd/ /ˈlɑ-/ en-au-loggerhead.ogg

Word forms

loggerhead loggerheads

Etymology

From logger (“(dialectal) heavy wooden block secured to a horse's leg to prevent it from straying”) + head. Logger was apparently coined because its sound connotes a clumsy, heavy object; compare log (“trunk of a dead tree; bulky piece of wood”).

Synonyms

addle-brain addlehead addle pate airhead baboon beanbrain beetlebrain beetlehead berk bimbo birdbrain blockhead blubberbrain bonehead Boeotian boob bozo brainlet brickhead bubblehead bubble brain bufflehead buffoon Charlie chowderhead chucklehead chump cittern-head clod clodpate clot clown crackhead cretin cuckoo deadhead dimbo dim bulb dimbus dimwit dingbat ding dong dingleberry dingwad dip dipstick doldrum dolt donut doodle doof doofoid doofus dope dork drivel drongo drool bucket dullard dumb bunny

Derived words

at loggerheads Kemp's loggerhead loggerheaded
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