headwound

English

Alternative forms

• head wound

Etymology

From Middle English hæfved-wunde, from Old English hēafodwund (“a wound in the head”), from Proto-Germanic *haubudawundō, *haubidawundō (“injury to the head, headwound”), equivalent to head +‎ wound. Cognate with Old Frisian hāvedwunde (“headwound”), Dutch hoofdwond (“injury to the head”), Old Saxon hōvidwunda (“headwound”), German Hauptwunde (“headwound”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌸𐍅𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃 (haubiþwunds, “wounded in the head”).

Noun

headwound (plural headwounds)

1. A wound or injury to the head.
   • 1872, James Payn, A Woman's Vengeance:

     Miladi's injury was pronounced to be the most severe in this respect; but Milor, in addition to his headwound, had broken bones and a snapped rib, which was thought to be pressing on his lungs.

   • 1999, Tony Hunt, The Medieval Surgery:

     The illustration accompanies a section of text setting out directions for estimating the size of a headwound.