headword

[ hed-wurd ]

noun

1. a word, phrase, or the like, appearing as the heading heading of a chapter, dictionary or encyclopedia entry, etc.
2. catchword ( def 2 ).
3. head ( def 26 ).

headword

/ ˈhɛdˌwɜːd /

noun

1. a key word placed at the beginning of a line, paragraph, etc, as in a dictionary entry

Word History and Origins

Origin of headword¹

First recorded in 1815–25; head + word

Example Sentences

Ghost words have nothing to do with otherworldly apparitions, but they're enough to scare the headwords off lexicographers.

From Salon

Because the Oxford English Dictionary is edited and published in England, British forms take precedence: in the online dictionary, it appears under the headword Covid-19.

From Scientific American

A dictionary is really a database; it has fields for headword, pronunciation, etymology, definition, and in the case of historical dictionaries like the OED, citations of past usages.

From Economist

Since both headwords have a long vowel, the cross-reference was changed to match.

From Project Gutenberg

Yogh is used in dictionary headwords; the others occur only in etymologies.

From Project Gutenberg