towheaded
Having very light blond or flax-colored hair, often said of kids.
Also called tow-headed, towhead.
Updated September 24, 2026
towheaded pronunciation
/TOE-hed-id/
Meaning
A towheaded young'un has hair the color of pale flax fiber, almost white-blond in the sun. Rural Southern folks still use it for the dusty-headed kids running through the yard. Not an insult in porch talk; just a plain way to say that hair is light as tow.
How folks use it
- “That towheaded boy belongs to the Johnsons down the road.”
- “She was a towheaded toddler before her hair darkened.”
Origin and etymology
From tow, the pale flax or hemp fiber used for spinning, plus headed. American English had towhead by about 1830 and tow-headed soon after. People compared light hair to the color of that fiber, same idea behind "flaxen." Not Southern-only, but it sits natural in country talk about kids.
Frequently asked questions
Is it toe-headed?
No. The tow is flax fiber, not a toe. People misspell it because tow is an old word now.