head money

American  

noun

1. a tax of so much per head or person.

2. a reward paid for capturing or killing an outlaw, fugitive, or the like.

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head money British  

noun

1. a reward paid for the capture or slaying of a fugitive, outlaw, etc

2. an archaic term for poll tax

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Etymology

Origin of head money

First recorded in 1520–30

Example Sentences

Dutch historian Ad van Liempt’s landmark book, “Hitler’s Bounty Hunters,” revealed a network of Dutch privateer “Jew hunters” who were paid “head money” for each person they delivered to the police.

From New York Times

The former president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf confirmed to me two years ago, during an interview in Dubai for a book project, that “head money” had been paid for each foreigner caught in parts of Pakistan known as “hotspots for al-Qaeda and Taliban.”

From Newsweek

The book is entitled “Kopf Geld Jagd,” which means “Head Money Hunt,” a play on the German term for “bounty hunt.”

From New York Times

He denied he had been "out of his senses" when he issued the "head money" offer.

From Newsweek

Head′-money, a tax counted per head: a reward by the head for persons captured at sea, &c.: a reward for a proscribed outlaw's head.—adj.

From Project Gutenberg