0 a word or phrase that is listed separately with its own definition, examples of use, etc. in a dictionary or similar book: --
Entering a word in the Synonym box calls up a list of headwords in alphabetical order.
There are not as many headwords as one might expect to find in other books of this size.
Because of run-on words (like cunningly and cunningness under cunning), a dictionary that claims 150,000 entries may have no more than 80,000 headwords.
The syllabication of headwords is not generally an important feature in British dictionaries.