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Glite Dictionary
head word

head word

6.3
The main word in a group of words that other words describe
  • noun
  • /hɛd wɜrd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : palabra principal
  • In the noun phrase "the big red ball," the head word is "ball."

Examples

  • The head word of a verb phrase typically determines the tense of the phrase.

  • Linguists can identify the head word to analyze sentence structure.

  • The head word in this sentence is crucial.

  • Can you identify the head word in this phrase?

  • In the noun phrase "the quick brown fox," the head word is "fox."

  • In grammar, the head word plays a vital role in defining the meaning of a phrase.

  • To understand the syntax of a sentence, you must locate the head word.

Synonyms

head
vshead word
  • Specialized
151 7.9

The main word in a group of words that gives its meaning

is specifically the main word that determines grammatical type in a phrase
headword
vshead word
  • Specialized
6.3

The main word at the start of a dictionary entry or phrase shown in bold

is the main word in a phrase that determines grammatical type

Surface Forms

head word singular
head words plural

Morphology

head + word

The meaning 'the main word in a phrase' is directly and compositionally built from 'head' (main/top) + 'word' (a unit of language). This noun–noun compound follows a transparent, literal pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Head word: The name head word comes from the picture of a phrase as a small group of words where one word works like the head that leads the rest. So the head word is the one that 'controls' the phrase and is its 'main' word.