headless

[ hed-lis ]

/ ˈhɛd lɪs /

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adjective

without a head.

having the head cut off; beheaded.

having no leader or chief; leaderless.

foolish; stupid: a headless argument.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of headless

before 1000; Middle English he(ve)dles,Old English hēafodlēas.See head, -less

OTHER WORDS FROM headless

head·less·ness, noun

Words nearby headless

heading sword, head in the clouds, have one's, head in the sand, headlamp, headland, headless, headless mule, head lettuce, headlight, headline, headliner

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use headless in a sentence

After attaching to a host, however, the crustacean “regresses” into an amorphous, headless blob, sapping nutrition from their host like the wirehead plugs into current.
Drugs, Robots, and the Pursuit of Pleasure: Why Experts Are Worried About AIs Becoming Addicts|Thomas Moynihan|September 17, 2021|Singularity Hub
He cuts off the Knight’s head, which the headless Knight then lifts so that it can address the company gathered.
The Green Knight is glorious and a little baffling. Let’s untangle it.|Alissa Wilkinson|July 30, 2021|Vox
No need to adjust your drone before flight, either, thanks to the headless mode that can take flight from anywhere.
This feature-packed drone lets you view real-time images in stunning HD quality|Quinn Gawronski|July 23, 2021|Popular-Science
Many believe headless can deliver SEO benefits like user experience, performance and security — depending on how it’s implemented, of course.
Do you know headless? And what brands fared well in the pandemic; Tuesday’s daily brief|Pamela Parker|March 16, 2021|Search Engine Land

If a headless worm can regrow a memory, then where is the memory stored, McConnell wondered.
Memories Can Be Injected and Survive Amputation and Metamorphosis - Facts So Romantic|Marco Altamirano|October 20, 2020|Nautilus
Yes, our phone screens may be filled with headless torsos and “looking?”
Sex-Crazed Narcissist Pretends He's an Artist|Justin Jones|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
IS celebrated the assaults by posting online photos of headless bodies that the group claimed were soldiers killed in the attacks.
The ISIS Caliphate’s Coming Blitz of Baghdad|Jamie Dettmer|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A few days after this fateful visit, each visionary reported seeing images of rivers of blood and headless corpses.
Did the Virgin Mary Warn Rwanda’s Holiest Town of the Genocide?|Nina Strochlic|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the pilot, Brooks proves himself to be the lamest cop of all time by agreeing to lead the headless horseman to his head.
‘Sleepy Hollow’ Is TV’s Craziest, Most Over-the-Top New Show ... And You Should Watch It|Amy Zimmerman|October 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Naturally, the headless horseman is really the first horseman of the apocalypse.
‘Sleepy Hollow’ Is TV’s Craziest, Most Over-the-Top New Show ... And You Should Watch It|Amy Zimmerman|October 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He left the arabyieh at the western entrance and went on foot down the avenue of headless rams.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
The ax was to sever the head from the lifeless body, and all the headless trunks were to be interred together.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
Whilst this was being done two coffins were found, and in them there were discovered two headless bodies.
Our Churches and Chapels|Atticus
I put the good nails into kegs, and the headless nails and splinters were sent back to be melted into window weights.
The Iron Puddler|James J. Davis
King Solomon sat headless on his throne of judgment, and the hands of the wicked elders had long since mouldered away.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VII, December 1850, Vol. II|Various

British Dictionary definitions for headless

headless

/ (ˈhɛdlɪs) /

adjective

without a head

without a leader

foolish or stupid

prosody another word for catalectic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012