têtes

Têtes is the plural of tête, the French noun for “head.” It is a feminine noun used in everyday language to denote the anatomical head, as well as in numerous figurative, culinary, and technical senses. The form appears in many common phrases and compound terms.

Etymology: The word derives from Old French tete, from Latin testa meaning “shell” or “pot,” with its sense extended to refer to the head. In modern French, tête is used both for a single head and, with the plural des têtes, for multiple heads or things described as head-like.

Anatomy and language: In anatomy, la tête designates the upper part of the body containing the brain and sense organs. It appears in many idioms: avoir la tête sur les épaules (to be sensible), perdre la tête (to lose one’s head), faire la tête (to sulk), and tête-à-tête (a private meeting). Compound phrases such as tête de liste (top of a ballot) and tête d’affiche (star or headliner) are common.

Culinary and botanical uses: In cuisine, tête de veau refers to calf’s head, often prepared as a dish or pâté; pâté de tête means head cheese. Garlic and cabbage are described in plural form with têtes: têtes d’ail (garlic heads) and têtes de chou (cabbage heads). In botany, tête can denote a flower head in some contexts.

Other uses: The term also appears in expressions related to leadership, such as tête de l’État (head of state) or tête de pont (bridgehead). In publishing and printing, tête can indicate a heading or the top line of a page, and in literary contexts, tête de chapitre refers to a chapter heading.

See also: Tête-à-tête; pâté de tête; tête de liste.