bald-pate

A man with a bald-pate smiles warmly in the park.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person with a bald head: "bald-pate" refers to an individual who is bald, having little or no hair on the scalp.
   • A type of duck: In ornithology, "bald-pate" is an alternative name for the American wigeon (Mareca americana), a duck species with a white crown resembling a bald head.

Usage Examples

• Noun (person):

  • The old man was a cheerful bald-pate who always wore a hat. (A person with a bald head.)
  • In the crowd, the tall bald-pate was easy to spot. (A bald individual.)

• Noun (duck):

  • We saw a bald-pate swimming in the pond during our birdwatching trip. (The American wigeon duck.)
  • The hunter identified the bird as a bald-pate by its white crown. (A duck species.)

Advanced Usage

• "bald-pate" as a historical or literary term: Often used in older texts to describe a bald person, sometimes with a humorous or pejorative tone.

  • The bald-pate in the corner told jokes all evening. (A bald man, described informally.)

• "bald-pate" in ornithology: Used specifically for the American wigeon due to the male's white forehead and crown.

  • The male bald-pate has a distinctive white patch on its head. (The duck's identifying feature.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bald-pated (adj): having a bald head.

  • The bald-pated man walked confidently into the room. (Describing someone with a bald head.)

• Bald (adj): lacking hair on the scalp.

  • He went bald at a young age. (Describes hair loss.)

Synonyms

• Baldhead: a person with a bald head.
• Baldie: an informal, sometimes affectionate term for a bald person.
• American wigeon: the scientific name for the duck species also called bald-pate.

Related Idioms

• As bald as a coot: completely bald (coot refers to a waterbird with a white forehead).
  • After chemotherapy, he was as bald as a coot. (Very bald.)