noun
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a person with red hair
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a diving duck, Aythya americana , of North America, the male of which has a grey-and-black body and a reddish-brown head
Etymology
Origin of redhead
Compare meaning
How does redhead compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge protects migratory waterfowl, in particular redhead ducks.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024
Rouwenhorst, not a redhead himself, decided to take a group picture with everyone who got in touch.
From Reuters • Aug. 27, 2023
“It looks beautiful already,” said Bawa, a petite redhead and founder of Sound Bird Healing, gazing up at the church’s graceful stone pillars, vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2023
The redhead had been staring out of the window; he turned now toward Richard.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
