airhead

noun
/ˈɛːhɛd/UK/ˈɛɹˌ(h)ɛd/US

Etymology

From air + head (“foremost, topmost, or leading part”), sense 1 (“area of hostile territory seized for use as an airbase”) by analogy with beachhead and bridgehead.

  1. inherited from *káput — “head
  2. inherited from *haubudą — “head
  3. inherited from *haubud
  4. inherited from hēafod — “head; top; leader; origin
  5. inherited from efd
  6. compounded as airhead — “air + head

Definitions

  1. An area of hostile territory that has been seized for use as an airbase to ensure the…

    An area of hostile territory that has been seized for use as an airbase to ensure the further safe landing of troops and materiel.

    • In another war airheads will be more important than beachheads. Neither one will work unless we can keep it adequately supplied. The successful combat air force will require a huge transport fleet for air lift.
    • The initial airhead may in fact be a series of smaller airheads which, after landing, join up in combat structure as mutually supporting in a tactical sense.
  2. A (usually temporary) landing area for aircraft for supplying a non-military operation.

  3. Alternative form of air-head (“a horizontal channel providing ventilation in a mine.”).

  4. + 1 more definition
    1. A foolish, silly, or unintelligent person.

      • Yeah. Well, Tammi is a bit of an airhead, I guess, but I feel sorry for her.
      • He would be thrust into the invidious position of subordinate host, welcoming all the dorks and dweebs and airheads that he saw far too much of in school.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for airhead. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA