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loggerhead

American  
[law-ger-hed, log-er-] / ˈlɔ gərˌhɛd, ˈlɒg ər- /

noun

  1. a thick-headed or stupid person; blockhead.

  2. loggerhead turtle.

  3. loggerhead shrike.

  4. a ball or bulb of iron with a long handle, used, after being heated, to melt tar, heat liquids, etc.

  5. a rounded post, in the stern of a whaleboat, around which the harpoon line is passed.

  6. a circular inkwell having a broad, flat base.

idioms

  1. at loggerheads, engaged in a disagreement or dispute; quarreling.

    They were at loggerheads over the distribution of funds.
loggerhead British  
/ ˈlɒɡəˌhɛd /

noun

  1. Also called: loggerhead turtle.  a large-headed turtle, Caretta caretta, occurring in most seas: family Chelonidae

  2. a North American shrike, Lanius ludovicianus, having a grey head and body, black-and-white wings and tail, and black facial stripe

  3. a tool consisting of a large metal sphere attached to a long handle, used for warming liquids, melting tar, etc

  4. a strong round upright post in a whaleboat for belaying the line of a harpoon

  5. archaic a blockhead; dunce

  6. engaged in dispute or confrontation

"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

Other Word Forms

  • loggerheaded adjective

Etymology

Origin of loggerhead

1580–90; logger block of wood (first attested alone in 18th century) + head

Vocabulary lists containing loggerhead

"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 4

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Crush, a loggerhead turtle, was given life-saving treatment at New Era Veterinary Hospital in St Saviour, Jersey, after she was found extremely weak and suffering from malnutrition.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026

Four of the loggerhead turtles were found along the Cornish coast, one was found in Devon and another was rescued at Anglesey in Wales.

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2024

However, several species, such as the San Clemente loggerhead shrike — a robin-sized predator known as the “butcher bird” — remain on the brink of extinction, with just 14 known to be alive.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2024

"Atmospheric conditions including wind and extreme weather events such as storms have been shown to trigger abnormal migratory behaviors in other large marine animals such as loggerhead sea turtles," said Ajemian.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2024

Suddenly a loggerhead stuck up its knobby brown head.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.