headless adj

1 not having a head or formed without a head ; "the headless horseman"; "brads are headless nails" [ant: headed]

2 not using intelligence [syn: brainless]

English

Etymology

head + -less

Adjective

1. Without a head, either in the physical sense of decapitation or figuratively without leadership.

   How did the headless horseman see to chase Ichabod?

   The headless army blundered along for a while after the death of the general, but accomplished nothing.

2. (of a phrase or compound) Not having a head morpheme or word.

Derived terms

• run around like a headless chicken

In software, headless refers to computer programs that use textual input/output to interact with users, instead of using graphics or graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

In computer hardware, headless refers to a server with no monitor, graphics card, or keyboard attached. Interaction with it depends on the use of a network connection, serial communications, or the use of a "crash cart."

A headless is also a type of foe encountered in the role-playing universe of Ultima. They are naked humans, without a head.

The Headless are also NPC's found in the first low level Exile hideout in the role-playing universe of The Matrix Online. These are clothed, human looking programs with no heads.

Headless is also the term used for describing a person or animal who has no head whether through deformity or removal. Because virtually all living organisms require their brain to carry out basic functions, there are few non-fictitious examples of living organisms lacking heads.

See also

• Blemmyes, headless humanoid creatures
• The Headless Horseman
• Mike the Headless Chicken
• Douglas E. Harding

brainless, crownless, foolish, ignorant, inept, insensate, irrational, lackbrained, lean-minded, lean-witted, mindless, not bright, of little brain, pea-brained, pin-brained, reasonless, senseless, slackminded, slackwitted, topless, ungifted, unintellectual, unintelligent, unreasoning, untalented, unthinking, unwise, witless