acephalous
Americanadjective
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Zoology. Also acephalic headless; lacking a distinct head.
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without a leader or ruler.
adjective
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having no head or one that is reduced and indistinct, as certain insect larvae
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having or recognizing no ruler or leader
Etymology
Origin of acephalous
1725–35; < Greek aképhalos; see a- 6, -cephalous
Explanation
Anything that is acephalous is headless — like the acephalous horseman of folklore. The term acephalous refers to organisms that lack a head, or to a group or society with no leader, or "head." Clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops are acephalous, as are sea stars, sea urchins, and sponges. Some historical tribal societies were acephalous: they had no one formal, decision-making authority. Leaderless digital communities and music bands are acephalous. The term is also used in poetry: An acephalous line is missing its first syllable based on an expected metrical pattern — e.g., "da-DUM da-DUM" becomes "DUM da-DUM." The term acephalous comes from Greek, where a- means "without" and kephalē means "head."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Geoffroy St. Hilaire has read a memoir of some length to the Academy of Sciences, on an acephalous mummy.
From North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826 by Bache, Franklin
Such a cabinet ought not to be acephalous.
From The Life of William Ewart Gladstone (Vol 2 of 3) by Morley, John
But in its present acephalous condition it is but a fragment of science—a headless corpse, unfit to rank among complete sciences.
From Buchanan's Journal of Man, April 1887 Volume 1, Number 3 by Buchanan, Joseph R. (Joseph Rodes)
The admirable phrase, "A man with a special subject," might have been invented on purpose for these acephalous species in the domain of literature and politics.
From A Woman of Thirty by Balzac, Honoré de
Does psychometry compare with astronomy and geology in its scientific rank, or does it compare with the acephalous biology, which occupies all medical colleges?
From Buchanan's Journal of Man, April 1887 Volume 1, Number 3 by Buchanan, Joseph R. (Joseph Rodes)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
