The front section of a missile or bomb that contains the explosive material and is designed to detonate and cause damage.
A compound word from 'war' (Old English 'wyrre') and 'head' (Old English 'heafod'), describing the destructive front of a weapon. The term became common in the 20th century with modern missile technology.
The word 'warhead' uses the old military term 'head' for any front-facing part of a weapon—and you still see it in 'arrowhead' and the ship term 'bow.' It shows how old military language gets repurposed for new weapons!
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