Having one's head bowed down, either physically or in a dejected manner; showing sadness or shame by hanging one's head.
Compound of 'down' (from Old English 'dūn', meaning downward) and 'headed' (from Old English 'heafod', meaning head). The compound emerged in English to describe posture and emotional states simultaneously.
This word reveals how physical posture and emotion are so connected in language that we describe sadness through body position—you can actually change your mood by straightening your posture!
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