snakehead
UK[ˈsneɪkhed]US[ˈsneɪkhed]
n
a freshwater fish with a broad, flattened head resembling that of a snake, belonging to the family Channidae.
n
(chiefly us, informal) a leader or member of a criminal organization, especially one involved in smuggling people.
Morpheme Breakdown
snake
head
snake
serpent
head
body part
Etymology
the term is a transparent english compound, formed from two native germanic nouns. the first element, 'snake', derives from proto-germanic snakô, which is likely related to the proto-indo-european root (s)neg-, meaning 'to crawl' or 'to creep'. the second element, 'head', originates from proto-germanic haubudą, from pie káput-. the compound literally means 'snake-headed', a descriptive term applied first to the fish due to its distinct physical morphology. the later, figurative criminal sense leverages the predatory and sinister connotations of the snake metaphor to label the leading figures in illicit smuggling operations.
Analysis
Structure: snake (serpent) + head (body part)
snake (from old english snaca, meaning serpent, reptile; a noun denoting the animal). head (from old english hēafod, meaning the upper part of the body; a noun denoting the body part).
Examples
the northern snakehead is an invasive species that can survive out of water for several days.
authorities arrested a suspected snakehead responsible for organizing the illegal border crossing.
the aquarium housed a large snakehead with distinctive markings on its head.