headless

adj

Etymology: From Middle English heedles, hevedles, from Old English hēafodlēas (“headless”), equivalent to head + -less. Cognate with Dutch hoofdloos (“headless”), Danish hovedløs (“headless”), Swedish huvudlös (“headless”), Icelandic höfuðlaus (“headless”). Piecewise doublet of chefless and chiefless.

1. Without a head (body part).

   “How did the headless horseman see to chase Ichabod?”

2. Without a head (body part).

   “headless invertebrates”

3. Without a head (hardware or device feature).

   “a headless nail;   a headless set screw”

4. Without leadership.

   “The headless army blundered along after the death of their general, accomplishing nothing.”

   “His forsaken soldiers, being now a headless company, and no longer an army to be feared, obtained nevertheless a reasonable composition from the Carthaginians […]”

5. Not having a head morpheme or word.
6. Running without a graphical user interface; running without any attached output device (e.g., monitor) or input device (e.g., keyboard, mouse).

   “/redirect. Used for console redirection in headless servers.”

   “Routers typically run headless, without a keyboard or monitor.”

7. Without a head of foam.
8. Heedless.

   “1579, E. K. (Edward Kirke?), Notes on Spenser’s The Shepheardes Calender If any one will rashly blame such his choice of old and unwonted words, him may I more justly blame and condemn, either of witless headiness in judging, or of headless hardiness in condemning.”

   “THENOT: Cuddy, I wot thou kenſt little Good, / So vainly to advance thy headleſs Hood.”

9. Rimless, not having a cartridge case rim (flange).

   “A headless shell doesn't have a flange.”