fiddlehead

[ fid-l-hed ]

noun

1. Nautical. a billethead having a form similar to the volute carved at the upper end of a violin.
2. the young, coiled frond of various species of ferns, eaten as a vegetable.

fiddlehead

/ ˈfɪdəlˌhɛd /

noun

1. nautical an ornamental carving, in the shape of the scroll at the head end of a fiddle, fitted to the top of the stem or cutwater
2. the edible coiled tip of a young fern frond

Word History and Origins

Origin of fiddlehead¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; fiddle + head

Example Sentences

Those sleds are made of a single plank turned up at one end like a fiddlehead, and the baggage is lashed on in bags and sacks.

From Project Gutenberg