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headhunter

headhunter

3 9.9
A person who cuts off and keeps enemy heads as trophies
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛdˌhʌntər/
  • Offensive
translation icon : decapitador
  • In ancient times, the fierce headhunter of the tribe would proudly display the trophies of his conquests.
  • headhunters and cannibals
  • headhunter tribe

Examples

  • In this country, few Indian nations escaped the piercing blades of the archaeologists' shovels or the slashes of the headhunters' knives.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Some tribes believed that defeating a headhunter would bring them great honor and strength.

  • Meet the descendants of headhunters in Nagaland.

    Blog text (17)

  • There haven't been practicing headhunters in Borneo for a century.

    Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

  • The tattoos of the Kalinga were only reserved for headhunters and warriors and their wives and daughters.

  • It's too bad we're not a little further South, Mr. Ellis, I could point out the most interesting territory-- the home of the jivaros, a tribe of headhunters.

    Five Came Back (1939)

  • The stories of the legendary headhunter from New Guinea still intrigue anthropologists today.

Synonyms

beheader
vsheadhunter
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person or machine that cuts off people's heads to kill them

removes and preserves enemy heads as trophies within tribal practice
head-shrinker
vsheadhunter
  • NSFW
9.9

A person who cuts off and keeps enemy heads as trophies

is the general tribal role of cutting and preserving heads without specific group mention
headshrinker
vsheadhunter
  • NSFW
9.9

A person who makes preserved human heads for traditional rituals

focuses on cutting off and keeping enemy heads as trophies not craft making

Surface Forms

headhunter singular
headhunters plural

Morphology

headhunter = head + hunter (transparent) = head + hunter

Literal compound of 'head' + 'hunter' meaning someone who takes heads; the components directly indicate the sense.

Etymology

Headhunter comes from the simple parts head and hunter and originally named tribal warriors who took enemy 'heads' as trophies. So a headhunter in this sense is a person who hunted for and kept heads.