shovelhead

American

[shuhv-uhl-hed] / ˈʃʌv əlˌhɛd /

noun

bonnethead.

shovelhead British

/ ˈʃʌvəlˌhɛd /

noun

a common shark, Sphyrna tiburo, of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, having a shovel-shaped head: family Sphyrnidae (hammerheads)

"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

Etymology

Origin of shovelhead

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; shovel + head

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.

Then they poked a foot into unseen crevices, hoping to grab a whiskered flathead catfish, a.k.a. yellow cat, opelousas, motley or shovelhead.

From Washington Times

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