figurehead
/ˈfɪɡjəɹˌhɛd/ noun, verb
Forms figureheads figureheading figureheaded figure-head
- noun (nautical) A carved figure on the prow of a sailing ship.
- noun (figurative, by extension) Someone in a nominal position of leadership who has little to no actual power.
- noun (nautical, slang, figurative, obsolete) A person's face.
- verb (idiomatic, transitive, also intransitive) To lead (something) nominally and with little to no actual power.
Synonyms
Etymology
From figure + head.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “figurehead”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details