flatheaded

Flatheaded is an adjective meaning having a flat head, or a head that is flattened relative to the body. It is used across disciplines to describe morphology in objects and organisms, and it is sometimes written as flat-headed in older texts.

In biology, flatheaded borers refer to the larvae of some wood-boring beetles whose head capsule is flattened. They live in tree tissue, and their feeding can damage wood. The term spans several beetle groups, including the Buprestidae and Cerambycidae. A well-known example is the flatheaded appletree borer (Chrysobothris femorata).

In medical and developmental contexts, the term is used in reference to infant skull shapes. Positional plagiocephaly, sometimes described as a flat head syndrome, results from external pressure on the skull and is typically addressed with guidance on positioning and time spent off the back.

In hardware and manufacturing, flatheaded (often written flat-head) describes screws or fasteners designed to sit flush with surrounding material when installed.