headman

noun

head·​man
1
b
ˈhed-ˈman How to pronounce headman (audio)
-ˌman
: a lesser chief of a primitive community
2

Examples of headman in a Sentence

as headman at the newspaper 20 years ago, he hired the then-promising young reporter who won this year's Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting
Recent Examples on the Web Following orders to investigate drug use in Phetchabun province, the local sheriff and village headman in Bung Sam Phan subdistrict, some 150 miles north of Bangkok, poked around schools, factories and temples in search of drug addicts and dealers so they could be sent for rehabilitation. Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2022 But since it was snapped up by La Réserve headman Michel Reybier, it’s been a little slice of heaven with big sea views for guests looking for respite from the St Tropez frenzy. Rooksana Hossenally, Forbes, 13 May 2022 During his time at Murray, he’s posted a winning percentage of .687 and fans of high-major teams have floated McMahon’s name as a possible future headman. Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 7 Feb. 2022 One of the members, Ram Prasad, a former village headman from an upper caste, said the initiative would break the taboo associated with the act. Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2022 The Cardinals were pitted against No. 10 seed Minnesota, coached by Richard Pitino, the son of former Cardinal headman Rick Pitino. Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 27 Aug. 2021 Wednesday evening, Louisville’s Board of Trustees and the Athletic Association Board of Directors agreed to a separation agreement with Mack, ending his tenure as the Cardinal headman at just under four years. Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 28 Jan. 2022 Western Michigan football will temporarily be without its headman. Tyler J. Davis, Detroit Free Press, 21 Sep. 2021 And then late in the first, Kaprizov went for a headman pass that Rask skated into but again Fleury blocked the attempt. Sarah McLellan, Star Tribune, 26 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'headman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of headman was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near headman

Cite this Entry

“Headman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headman. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

headman

noun
head·​man ˈhed-ˈman How to pronounce headman (audio)
-ˌman
: one who is a leader (as of a tribe, clan, or village) : chief
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