# acephalous

> English word · Adjective · IPA /əˈsɛfələs/

## Definitions
1. Having no head.
2. Without a distinct head.
3. Having the style spring from the base, instead of from the apex, as is the case in certain ovaries
4. A system of society without centralised state authority, where power is welded amongst groups of community entities e.g. clans. Without a leader or chief.
5. Deficient in the beginning, as a line of poetry that is missing its expected opening syllable.
6. Lacking the first portion of the text. (of a manuscript)
7. Without a beginning.

## Etymology
From French acéphale, from Ancient Greek ἀκέφαλος (aképhalos, “headless”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + κεφαλή (kephalḗ, “head”). By surface analysis, a- + -cephalous.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/acephalous