A.Word.A.Day --figurehead

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figurehead

PRONUNCIATION:

(FIG-yuhr-hed, FIG-uhr-hed)

MEANING:

noun: A person who is head of a group in name only, having no authority or responsibility.

ETYMOLOGY:

The term is derived from the figurative use of the term figurehead which is an ornamental carving, usually of a human figure, on the bow of a ship. From Latin figure (form, shape) + Old English heafod (top of the body).

USAGE:

"Recent years have seen rectors elected who take a more active role, rather than simply being a figurehead."
Fiona Macleod; Call for 'Student Champion' Rectors to Be Part of All Scots Universities; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Sep 8, 2008.

See more usage examples of figurehead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The soul is healed by being with children. -Fyodor Dostoyevsky, novelist (1821-1881)

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