redhead

American  

[red-hed] / ˈrɛdˌhɛd /

noun

1. a person having red hair.

2. an American diving duck, Aythya americana, the male of which has a bright chestnut-red head.

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redhead British  

/ ˈrɛdˌhɛd /

noun

1. a person with red hair

2. a diving duck, Aythya americana , of North America, the male of which has a grey-and-black body and a reddish-brown head

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Etymology

Origin of redhead

First recorded in 1655–65; red ¹ + head

Compare meaning

How does redhead compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• canvasback vs. redhead

Explanation

A redhead is a person with red hair. Although sometimes it looks more like orange, “orangehead” isn’t a thing. Only about one percent of the entire population is a real redhead. In England, a redhead is “ginger” haired. Redheads come in many different varieties, from bright red dyed hair to coppery auburn and strawberry blond. Many natural redheads have pale skin that burns easily in the sun and light-colored eyes. The word redhead has been used to mean someone with red hair since at least the 13th century. Even today, kids are sometimes teased for being redheads, but in the Middle Ages, red hair could mark you as a witch or a vampire.

Example Sentences

But where the blazing redhead star turned recluse’s mystery came from something thrown into the water, the copper-tressed, genre-blurring songwriter’s own mysteries are contained within.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Like many other North Korean prisoners, Mr Ahn too was labelled a "redhead", a reference to his communist sympathies, and he struggled to find a proper job.

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2025

Rouwenhorst, not a redhead himself, decided to take a group picture with everyone who got in touch.

From Reuters • Aug. 27, 2023

The park is also known for attracting a striking species of diving duck called a redhead.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2023

But he had not imagined that they would smell so bad, Charles the plump one wearing a squashed hat and Charles the redhead with his chin covered in ginger hair.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie