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.
Such a cabinet ought not to be acephalous.
From The Life of William Ewart Gladstone (Vol 2 of 3) by John Morley
I cannot imagine anything more manifestly made to be a tyranny than such an acephalous aristocracy.
From What I Saw in America by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton
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 Franklin Bache
The great development of mantle in the acephalous molluscs has rendered eyes, and even a head, entirely useless to them.
From Evolution, Old & New Or, the Theories of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck, as compared with that of Charles Darwin by Samuel Butler
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 Joseph R. (Joseph Rodes) Buchanan
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