airhead
UK /ˈɛə̯hɛd/ · US /ˈɛɹˌ(h)ɛd/ noun
Forms airheads
- noun (military) An area of hostile territory that has been seized for use as an airbase to ensure the further safe landing of troops and materiel.
- noun (by extension) A (usually temporary) landing area for aircraft for supplying a non-military operation.
- noun (originally US, informal, derogatory) A foolish, silly, or unintelligent person.
Synonyms
airling bimbo bubblehead addle-brain addlehead addle pate baboon beanbrain beetlebrain beetlehead berk birdbrain blockhead blubberbrain bonehead Boeotian boob bozo brainlet brickhead
Etymology
From air + head (“foremost, topmost, or leading part”), sense 1 (“area of hostile territory seized for use as an airbase”) by analogy with beachhead and bridgehead.
From air + head, in the sense of having one’s head filled with air instead of a brain; compare empty-headed.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “airhead”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details