loggerhead

noun

log·​ger·​head ˈlȯ-gər-ˌhed 

ˈlä-

1

chiefly dialectal

a

: blockhead

b

: head

especially : a disproportionately large head

2

a

: a very large chiefly carnivorous sea turtle (Caretta caretta) of subtropical and temperate waters

b

: alligator snapping turtle

3

: an iron tool consisting of a long handle terminating in a ball or bulb that is heated and used to melt tar or to heat liquids

Illustration of loggerhead

• loggerhead 2a

Phrases

at loggerheads

: in or into a state of quarrelsome disagreement

Synonyms

• airhead
• birdbrain
• blockhead
• bonehead
• bubblehead
• chowderhead
• chucklehead
• clodpoll
• clodpole
• clot [British]
• cluck
• clunk
• cretin
• cuddy [British dialect]
• cuddie
• deadhead
• dim bulb [slang]
• dimwit
• dip
• dodo
• dolt
• donkey
• doofus [slang]
• dope
• dork [slang]
• dullard
• dum-dum
• dumbbell
• dumbhead
• dummkopf
• dummy
• dunce
• dunderhead
• fathead
• gander
• golem
• goof
• goon
• half-wit
• hammerhead
• hardhead
• idiot
• ignoramus
• imbecile
• jackass
• know-nothing
• knucklehead
• lamebrain
• loon
• lump
• lunkhead
• meathead
• mome [archaic]
• moron
• mug [chiefly British]
• mutt
• natural
• nimrod [slang]
• nincompoop
• ninny
• ninnyhammer
• nit [chiefly British]
• nitwit
• noddy
• noodle
• numskull
• numbskull
• oaf
• pinhead
• prat [British]
• ratbag [chiefly Australian]
• saphead
• schlub [slang]
• shlub
• schnook [slang]
• simpleton
• stock
• stupe
• stupid
• thickhead
• turkey
• woodenhead
• yahoo
• yo-yo

Examples of loggerhead in a Sentence

that loggerhead couldn't find the business end of a cow even if his life depended on it

Recent Examples on the Web

Each juvenile loggerhead was exposed to two distinct magnetic fields. —Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 12 Feb. 2025

Madrid is currently at loggerheads with the league, its president Javier Tebas and referees over match officiating, which Atletico hasn’t wasted the opportunity to poke fun at online. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

Now, Mischief the 140-pound loggerhead sea turtle is back in the wild. —Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025

Baby loggerhead turtles can identify specific magnetic signatures, according to a new paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from English dialect logger block of wood + English head

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing loggerhead

• loggerhead shrike

Rhymes for loggerhead

• abovesaid
• aforesaid
• arrowhead
• casinghead
• copperhead
• figurehead
• fountainhead
• gingerbread
• hammerhead
• infrared
• leatherhead
• letterhead

Kids Definition

loggerhead

noun

log·​ger·​head ˈlȯg-ər-ˌhed 

ˈläg-

: any of several very large turtles

especially : a flesh-eating sea turtle of the warmer parts of the western Atlantic