English
timberhead
From timber + head.
Proto-Indo-European *dem- ‘to build’
Proto-Germanic *timrą ‘building’
Proto-West Germanic *timr ‘building’
Old English timber
Middle English tymber
English timber
Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘head’
…
Proto-Germanic *haubudą ‘head’
Proto-West Germanic *haubud
Old English hēafod ‘head’
Middle English heed ‘head’
English head
Today it means
noun The top end of a timber, rising above the gunwale, and serving for belaying ropes, etc.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “timberhead”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / timberhead