headword Hear it!

headword Definition

head·word (hed′wʉrd′)

noun

  1. a word or phrase that is a heading for a paragraph, chapter, etc.
  2. Linguis. a word functioning as a head in a structure

headword Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • single: Written like a dictionary, each word is arranged alphabetically with all the appropriate parts of speech included under a single headword.

Modifies a noun

  • list: Scan this headword list for the most frequent open-class word.

Preposition: in

  • dictionary: All the headwords in the dictionary are spoken by professional native speakers.