Meanings
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1
noun
something worn on or covering the head, especially an ornamental or protective item
The actor's elaborate headpiece was decorated with feathers and beads.
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2
noun
the part of a bridle that passes over or around a horse's head
She adjusted the leather headpiece so that the bridle sat comfortably behind the horse's ears.
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3
noun
a person's head, brain, or mental ability (informal or dated)
The foreman had a good headpiece and remembered every delivery without consulting the ledger.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Formed from head + piece. The compound first denotes an item or component belonging on the head; by metonymy, it also came to mean the head itself and, especially in dated informal use, a person's intelligence or memory.