bighead

American  

[big-hed, -hed] / ˈbɪgˈhɛd, -ˌhɛd /

noun

1. Informal. an excessive estimate of one's importance; conceit.

2. Veterinary Pathology.

   1. an inflammatory swelling of the tissues of the head of sheep, caused by the anaerobic bacillus Clostridium novyi.

   2. enlargement of the head and jawbones of horses resulting from nutritional hyperthyroidism.

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bighead British  

/ ˈbɪɡˌhɛd /

noun

1. informal a conceited person

2. informal conceit; egotism

3. vet science

   1. an abnormal bulging or increase in the size of an animal's skull, as from osteomalacia

   2. any of various diseases of sheep characterized by swelling of the head, esp any caused by infection with Clostridium bacteria

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bigheadedness
  noun
• bigheaded
  adjective
• bigheadedly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of bighead

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; big ¹ + head

Example Sentences

There are four types of invasive carp: bighead, silver, grass, and black.

From Salon • Jun. 13, 2023

His medley of El Apagón and Después De La Playa was enhanced with pyrotechnics, dozens of dancers and a troop of cabezudos, the "bighead" puppets that march down the streets of San Juan every January.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2023

He called the research "data-driven and robust," and that it fills an important knowledge gap in how a proliferation of bighead and silver carp could alter the world's largest freshwater ecosystem.

From Scientific American • Jul. 8, 2020

The study focused on silver carp, notorious for leaping from the water when startled, because they’re more abundant in the Upper Mississippi than bighead carp.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2019

It is particularly manifest in the bones of the head, causing enlargement and bulging of the face and jaws, thereby giving rise to the terms "bighead" and "swelled head," which are applied to it.

From Special Report on Diseases of the Horse by Michener, Charles B.