saphead

American  

[sap-hed] / ˈsæpˌhɛd /

noun

Slang.

1. a simpleton; fool.

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saphead ¹ British  

/ ˈsæpˌhɛd /

noun

1. slang a simpleton, idiot, or fool

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saphead ² British  

/ ˈsæpˌhɛd /

noun

1. military the end of a sap nearest to the enemy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sapheaded
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of saphead

First recorded in 1790–1800; sap ¹ + head

Example Sentences

But Mr. Kellow is no saphead, and he makes objectivity a great virtue.

From New York Times • Oct. 26, 2011

This kind of pitch, with its view of the consumer as saphead, is still afl too prevalent.

From Time Magazine Archive

He shook his head and cried vehemently: “What a saphead I’d be if I fell to that bait!”

From In the Heart of a Fool by White, William Allen

Then there's a man in the squad who is more than a mere saphead.

From Dave Darrin's First Year at Annapolis by Hancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)

"Hallie," said He, "if Billy only had your common-sense business instinct, I wouldn't ask for anything else in this world; but Billy is a saphead."

From The Early Bird A Business Man's Love Story by Brown, Arthur William