head money

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.

head money

noun

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

2. an archaic term for poll tax

Word History and Origins

Origin of head money¹

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.

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All these thoughts collided in my head: Money was running out.

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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.”

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

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

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