Bottlehead

/ˈbɒtəlhɛd/ noun

Definition

A derogatory term for a stupid or foolish person, or a type of whale with a bulbous, bottle-shaped head.

Etymology

Compound from 'bottle' and 'head,' applied pejoratively to humans as early as the 1600s. The whale meaning comes from the distinctive shape of the bottlenose whale's melon (frontal bulge).

Kelly Says

Bottlenose whales have a massive forehead bulge filled with an oily substance called spermaceti, which they use like nature's sonar—it helps them focus and direct echolocation clicks to hunt giant squid in the deep ocean.

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