airhead¹

[air-hed]

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

noun

an area in enemy territory or in threatened friendly territory, seized by airborne troops for bringing in supplies and additional troops by airdrop or landing.

Origin of airhead¹

air¹ + (beach)head

airhead²

[air-hed]

noun

Slang. a scatterbrained, stupid, or simple-minded person; dolt.

Origin of airhead²

probably earlier than 1975–80; air¹ + head

Related formsair·head·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for airhead

Contemporary Examples

Sure, the critics never quite cottoned to him; they always insinuated that he was an airhead, a blank.
Are We in the Midst of a Kevin Costner Comeback?
Andrew Romano
January 28, 2014
But Bonds was no airhead who could only read from a TelePrompTer.
Detroit’s Real-Life Ron Burgundy
Justin Miller
December 31, 2013
Vanda ends up being much less of a airhead than she initially appears.
Polanski and Jarmusch at Cannes
Richard Porton
May 26, 2013
In the book, Brewer hints ever so carefully that the judge, Susan Bolton, is something of an airhead.
Jan Brewer's Self-Serving Book
Terry Greene Sterling
November 4, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for airhead

airhead¹

noun

military an area secured in hostile territory, used as a base for the supply and evacuation of troops and equipment by air

Word Origin

C20: modelled on beachhead

airhead²

noun

slang a stupid or simple-minded person; idiot

Word Origin

C20: from air + head

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for airhead

n.

"empty-headed person," 1972, from air (n.1) + head (n.). Earlier as a term in mining (mid-19c.) and as a military term based on beachhead (1950).

airhead.css-pdubzd{font-size:17px;vertical-align:super;}1

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}airhead1

airhead2

Origin of airhead2

Examples from the Web for airhead

Contemporary Examples

Sure, the critics never quite cottoned to him; they always insinuated that he was an airhead, a blank.

But Bonds was no airhead who could only read from a TelePrompTer.

Vanda ends up being much less of a airhead than she initially appears.

In the book, Brewer hints ever so carefully that the judge, Susan Bolton, is something of an airhead.

airhead1

Word Origin

airhead2

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for airhead

n.

airhead¹

Origin of airhead¹

airhead²

Origin of airhead²

airhead¹

airhead²