ACEPHALOUS

acephalous

(adjective) lacking a head or a clearly defined head; “acephalous worms”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

acephalous (comparative more acephalous, superlative most acephalous)

Headless

(zoology, applied to bivalve mollusks) Without a distinct head.

(botany) Having the style spring from the base, instead of from the apex, as is the case in certain ovaries

Without a leader or chief.

Without a beginning

(prosody) Deficient in the beginning, as a line of poetry that is missing its expected opening syllable

Source: Wiktionary

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A*ceph"a*lous, a. Etym: [See Acephal.]

1. Headless.

2. (Zoöl.)

Definition: Without a distinct head; -- a term applied to bivalve mollusks.

3. (Bot.)

Definition: Having the style spring from the base, instead of from the apex, as is the case in certain ovaries.

4. Without a leader or chief.

5. Wanting the beginning. A false or acephalous structure of sentence. De Quincey.

6. (Pros.)

Definition: Deficient and the beginning, as a line of poetry. Brande.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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