acephalous

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Adjective 1.3.1 Translations

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀκέφαλος (akephalos), “‘headless’”) < ἀ- (“‘not’”) + κεφαλή (kephalē), “‘head’”).

[edit] Pronunciation

a-ceph*a-lous

• IPA: /əˈsɛfələs/

aah-SEPH-a-luhs

[edit] Adjective

acephalous (comparative more acephalous, superlative most acephalous)

1. Headless
2. (zoology) Without a distinct head; -- a term applied to bivalve mollusks.
3. (botany) Having the style spring from the base, instead of from the apex, as is the case in certain ovaries
4. Without a leader or chief.
5. Wanting the beginning

   • A false or acephalous structure of sentence. - Thomas de Quincey

6. (prosody) Deficient in the beginning, as a line of poetry that is missing its expected opening syllable - Brande

[edit] Translations