towhead

noun

tow·​head ˈtō-ˌhed How to pronounce towhead (audio)
plural towheads
1
: a head of hair that is light blond or tousled : a head of hair resembling tow (see tow entry 3 sense 1)
His towhead looks as though it has not seen a comb in some time.Frank Rizzo
At age 16, [Broc] Glover, better known as the "Golden Boy" because of his towhead, stormed onto the National circuit …Scott Hoffman
also : a person having such a head of hair
I was white blonde until I was 6 and my three babies—all brunette now—were towheads until they were also that age. Carolyn Ten Broeck
2
: a low alluvial island or shoal in a river : sandbar
towheaded adjective

Examples of towhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The notion, like the uncouth, wispy-haired towhead himself, was an easy mark for Bennett, who took aim following Greeley’s sermon on the coverage of the New Jersey murder. James M. Lundberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2020 An outdoorsy, blue-eyed towhead, Jim, was living in the house next door, right on the beach. Alison Rose, Town & Country, 16 Dec. 2012 The towhead flashes his dad a cheeky smile, grabs a puppy by his neck roll, and runs off down a hill with his seven-year-old brother, Federico, to find some chickens. J.j. Martin, Harper's BAZAAR, 21 Dec. 2007

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'towhead.' 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

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of towhead was in 1829

Dictionary Entries Near towhead

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

towhead

noun
tow·​head ˈtō-ˌhed How to pronounce towhead (audio)
: a person with very light blond hair

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