wolf's head

noun

"wolf-s-head" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wolf's head” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In mediaeval times, an outlaw; one who may be slain without judicial enquiry.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wolf-s-head · wolf's head · English

wolf's head · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "W" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for wolf's head
PropertyValue
Headwordwolf's head
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “wolf's head” in English

wolf's headsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

wolf's head is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In mediaeval times, an outlaw; one who may be slain without judicial enquiry.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for wolf's head, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Calque of Latin caput lupinum. The correct English form is wolf's head, spelled W-O-L-F-'-S- -H-E-A-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    In mediaeval times, an outlaw; one who may be slain without judicial enquiry.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how wolf's head appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. “Bonny times,” he said, “I have lived to see, when a lad of Earl Oslac’s blood is sent out of the land, a beggar and a wolf’s head, for playing a boy’s trick or two, and upsetting a shaveling priest.”.

Etymology

Calque of Latin caput lupinum.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "wolf's head"?
"wolf's head" is spelled W-O-L-F-'-S- -H-E-A-D.
What does "wolf's head" mean?
As a noun, "wolf's head" means: In mediaeval times, an outlaw; one who may be slain without judicial enquiry.
What is the origin of the word "wolf's head"?
Calque of Latin caput lupinum. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list