headwound

• head wound

From Middle English hæfved-wunde, from Old English hēafodwund (“a wound in the head”), from Proto-Germanic *haubudawundō, *haubidawundō (“injury to the head, headwound”), equivalent to head +‎ wound. Cognate with Old Frisian hāvedwunde (“headwound”), Dutch hoofdwond (“injury to the head”), Old Saxon hōvidwunda (“headwound”), German Hauptwunde (“headwound”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌸𐍅𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃 (haubiþwunds, “wounded in the head”).

headwound (plural headwounds)

1. A wound or injury to the head.
   • 1872, James Payn, A Woman's Vengeance:

     Miladi's injury was pronounced to be the most severe in this respect; but Milor, in addition to his headwound, had broken bones and a snapped rib, which was thought to be pressing on his lungs.

   • 1999, Tony Hunt, The Medieval Surgery:

     The illustration accompanies a section of text setting out directions for estimating the size of a headwound.