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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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

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 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

towhead

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

More from Merriam-Webster on towhead

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!