double-headed
|dou-ble-head-ed|
/ˌdʌb(ə)lˈhɛdɪd/
having two heads; dual leadership
Etymology
'double-headed' is a Modern English compound formed from 'double' + 'headed'. 'double' comes ultimately from Latin via Old French: Latin 'duplex'/'duplus' → Old French 'double', where the root meant 'twofold'. 'head' comes from Old English 'heafod' meaning 'head', with the past-participle-forming suffix '-ed' used to mean 'having a head of the specified kind.'
'double' passed from Latin ('duplex'/'duplus') into Old French as 'double' and into Middle English as 'double'; 'head' was Old English 'heafod' → Middle English 'hed' → Modern English 'head'. The adjective 'headed' (formed with -ed) combined with 'double' in Modern English to produce 'double-headed'.
Originally the components meant 'twofold' (double) and 'having a head' (headed); together they literally meant 'having two heads'. Over time the compound has also acquired a figurative sense of 'having two leaders or centers of authority.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having two heads (literally).
The mythological creature was depicted as double-headed.
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Adjective 2
having two leaders or two centers of authority; divided leadership (figurative).
After the merger the organization became double-headed, with two CEOs sharing power.
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Last updated: 2025/08/24 10:21