head boy

IPA/ˌhed ˈbɔɪ/
IPA/ˌhed ˈbɔɪ/

head boy — noun

1. A male student in his final year at a British school who is chosen to represent

1.nounB1
Definition

A male student in his final year at a British school who is chosen to represent the school and carry out official duties, such as welcoming visitors, leading assemblies, and helping younger students.

Example

As head boy, David gave a speech at assembly and welcomed the new students.

role in: as head boy + person + action

Karim was appointed head boy after impressing the teachers with his leadership skills.

passive: be appointed head boy

Common collocations
  • appointed head boy
  • the school's head boy
  • head boy of [school name]
  • serve as head boy
  • head boy duties
Synonyms
  • prefect

    a more junior student leader; schools may have several prefects but only one head boy

  • student council president

    an elected student leader in non-British systems; not exactly the same role

Grammar Patterns

the head boy

head boy of + school/institution

Usage Note

Commonly preceded by 'the' or a possessive determiner (e.g. 'the school's head boy'). The female equivalent is 'head girl'. This term is used almost exclusively in British school contexts.

Common Mistakes

He was the head boy of the company.
He was the head boy of his school.
'head boy' only refers to a role in a school, not in a workplace.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Both 'head boy' and 'prefect' refer to leadership roles in British schools, but a 'head boy' is the single highest-ranking male student, whereas a school usually has several prefects who share less senior duties. 'Monitor' describes a younger student with very limited responsibilities, like checking attendance. 'Student council president' is the closest equivalent in American-style schools, but the role is typically elected rather than appointed by teachers. For example: 'The head boy stood beside the principal at the ceremony, while the prefects helped direct the younger students to their seats.'

prefectmonitor ↗student council president

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The term 'head boy' combines 'head' (meaning 'chief' or 'leader', from Old English 'hēafod') with 'boy' (from Old English 'boga' or Middle English 'boi', meaning a male child or servant). It emerged in the British public school system in the 19th century to formalise the role of the senior male student who acts as a representative of the student body.