Definition of 'head'

Word Frequency

head

(hed )

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense heads , present participle heading , past tense, past participle headed Head is used in a large number of expressions which are explained under other words in the dictionary. For example, the expression 'off the top of your head' is explained at 'top'.

1. countable noun

Your head is the top part of your body, which has your eyes, mouth, and brain in it.

She turned her head away from him.

He took a puff on his pipe and shook his head.

Synonyms: skull, crown, pate, bean [US, Canadian, slang] More Synonyms of head

You can also use head as a measure of distance, equal to the length of a person's or animal's head.

The third gorilla was taller by a head.

2. countable noun

You can use head to refer to your mind and your mental abilities.

I can't get that song out of my head.

...an exceptional analyst who could do complex maths in his head.

3. singular noun

The head of a line of people or vehicles is the front of it, or the first person or vehicle in the line.

...the head of the queue. [+ of]

We took our place at the head of the convoy.

Synonyms: front, beginning, top, first place More Synonyms of head

4. verb

If someone or something heads a line or procession, they are at the front of it.

The parson, heading the procession, had just turned right towards the churchyard. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: lead, precede, be the leader of, be or go first More Synonyms of head

5. verb

If something heads a list or group, it is at the top of it.

The book has sold twelve thousand copies in three weeks, and is still heading the list of best-sellers. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: top, lead, crown, cap More Synonyms of head

6. singular noun

The head of something is the highest or top part of it.

...the head of the stairs. [+ of]

Every day a different name was placed at the head of the chart. [+ of]

Synonyms: top, crown, summit, height More Synonyms of head

7. countable noun

The head of something long and thin is the end which is wider than or a different shape from the rest, and which is often considered to be the most important part.

There should be no exposed screw heads.

Keep the head of the club the same height throughout the swing.

...a flower head.

8. countable noun

The head of a school is the teacher who is in charge.

[mainly British]

She is full of admiration for the head and teachers.

Synonyms: head teacher, principal, headmaster or headmistress More Synonyms of head

9. countable noun

The head of a company or organization is the person in charge of it and in charge of the people in it.

...heads of government from more than 100 countries. [+ of]

...the head waiter.

Synonyms: leader, president, director, manager More Synonyms of head

10. verb

If you head a department, company, or organization, you are the person in charge of it.

He had just been appointed to head the corporate-finance department. [VERB noun]

My department is headed by two 30-year-olds. [VERB-ed]

11. countable noun

The head of an infected spot is its white or yellow centre.

12. countable noun [usually singular]

The head on a glass of beer is the layer of small bubbles that form on the top of the beer.

13. plural noun [num N of n]

You can use head to say how many animals of a particular type a farmer has. For example, if they have fifty head of cattle, they have fifty cows.

14. countable noun [usually singular]

If you have a bad head, you have a headache.

[British, informal]

I had a terrible head and was extraordinarily drunk.

15. adverb [be ADVERB, ADVERB after verb]

If you toss a coin and it comes down heads, you can see the side of the coin which has a picture of a head on it.

'We might toss up for it,' suggested Ted. 'If it's heads, then we'll talk.'.

Heads or tails?

16. verb

If you are heading for a particular place, you are going towards that place. In American English, you can also say that you are headed for a particular place.

He headed for the bus stop. [VERB + for]

...an Iraqi vessel heading for the port of Basra. [VERB for noun]

It is not clear how many of them will be heading back to Saudi Arabia tomorrow. [VERB adverb/preposition]

She and her child boarded a plane headed to where her family lived. [VERB-ed]

He could just as well have hitched a ride on a train or a truck headed west. [VERB-ed]

17. verb

If something or someone is heading for a particular result, the situation they are in is developing in a way that makes that result very likely. In American English, you can also say that something or someone is headed for a particular result.

The latest talks aimed at ending the civil war appear to be heading for deadlock. [VERB + for]

If she does not work hard, Laure is heading for disaster. [Vfor/towards n]

The centuries-old ritual seems headed for extinction. [V-ed + for]

[Also V + towards]

18. verb [usually passive]

If a piece of writing is headed a particular title, it has that title written at the beginning of it.

One chapter is headed, 'Beating the Test'.

19. verb

If you head a ball in football, you hit it with your head in order to make it go in a particular direction.

He headed the ball across the face of the goal. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]

[Also VERB noun]

20. See also heading

21.

See a head

22.

See do your head in

23.

See from head to foot

24.

See head for sth

25.

See get sth into one's head

26.

See get sth into one's head

27.

See give sb their head

28.

See go to one's head

29.

See go to one's head

30.

See head over heels

31.

See to keep your head

32.

See to knock something on the head

33.

See to laugh your head off

34.

See be off one's head

35.

See off one's head

36.

See stand/turn sth on it's head

37.

See be over sb's head

38.

See over sb's head

39.

See to rear/raise its ugly head

40.

See stand on one's head

41.

See make head (n)or tail

42.

See take it into one's head

43.

See come to a head/bring sth to a head

44.

See to bang two peoples' heads together

45.

See to put your heads together

46.

See to keep your head above water

47.

See heads will roll

Phrasal verbs:

See head off

See head up

More Synonyms of head

Video: pronunciation of
head

head in British English

(hɛd )

noun

the upper or front part of the body in vertebrates, including humans, that contains and protects the brain, eyes, mouth, and nose and ears when present

▶ Related adjective: cephalic

the corresponding part of an invertebrate animal

something resembling a head in form or function, such as the top of a tool

the person commanding most authority within a group, organization, etc

(as modifier)

head buyer

(in combination)

headmaster

the position of leadership or command

at the head of his class

the most forward part of a thing; a part that juts out; front

the head of a queue

(as modifier)

head point

the highest part of a thing; upper end

the head of the pass

the froth on the top of a glass of beer

aptitude, intelligence, and emotions (esp in the phrases above or over one's head, have a head for, keep one's head, lose one's head, etc)

she has a good head for figures

a wise old head

10. Word forms: plural head

a person or animal considered as a unit

the show was two pounds per head

six hundred head of cattle

11.

the head considered as a measure of length or height

he's a head taller than his mother

12. botany

a dense inflorescence such as that of the daisy and other composite plants

any other compact terminal part of a plant, such as the leaves of a cabbage or lettuce

13.

a culmination or crisis (esp in the phrase bring or come to a head)

14.

the pus-filled tip or central part of a pimple, boil, etc

15.

the head considered as the part of the body on which hair grows densely

a fine head of hair

16.

the source or origin of a river or stream

17. (capital when part of name)

a headland or promontory, esp a high one

18.

the obverse of a coin, usually bearing a portrait of the head or a full figure of a monarch, deity, etc

Compare tail1

19.

a main point or division of an argument, discourse, etc

20. (often plural)

the headline at the top of a newspaper article or the heading of a section within an article

21. nautical

the front part of a ship or boat

(in sailing ships) the upper corner or edge of a sail

the top of any spar or derrick

any vertical timber cut to shape

e. (often plural) a slang word for lavatory

22. grammar another word for governor (sense 7)

23.

the taut membrane of a drum, tambourine, etc

24.

the height of the surface of liquid above a specific point, esp when considered or used as a measure of the pressure at that point

a head of four feet

pressure of water, caused by height or velocity, measured in terms of a vertical column of water

any pressure

a head of steam in the boiler

25. slang

a person who regularly takes drugs, esp LSD or cannabis

(in combination)

an acidhead

a pothead

26. mining

a road driven into the coal face

27.

the terminal point of a route

(in combination)

railhead

28.

a device on a turning or boring machine, such as a lathe, that is equipped with one or more cutting tools held to the work by this device

29. cylinder head

30.

an electromagnet that can read, write, or erase information on a magnetic medium such as a magnetic tape, disk, or drum, used in computers, tape recorders, etc

31. informal short for headmaster, headmistress, head teacher

32.

the head of a horse considered as a narrow margin in the outcome of a race (in the phrase win by a head)

any narrow margin of victory (in the phrase (win) by a head)

33. informal short for headache

34. curling

the stones lying in the house after all 16 have been played

35. bowling

the jack and the bowls that have been played considered together as a target area

36. against the head

37. bite someone's head off

38. bring to a head

39. get it into one's head

40. give head

41. give someone his or her head

42. give a horse its head

43. go to one's head

44. head and shoulders above

45. head over heels

46. hold up one's head

47. keep one's head

48. keep one's head above water

49. make head

50. make head or tail of

51. off one's head

52. off the top of one's head

53. on one's head

54. one's head off

55. over someone's head

56. put their heads together

57. take it into one's head

58. turn heads

59. turn something on its head

60. turn someone's head

verb

61. (transitive)

to be at the front or top of

to head the field

62. (transitive; often foll by up)

to be in the commanding or most important position

63. (often foll by for)

to go or cause to go (towards)

where are you heading?

64.

to turn or steer (a vessel) as specified

to head into the wind

65. soccer

to propel (the ball) by striking it with the head

66. (transitive)

to provide with or be a head or heading

to head a letter

the quotation which heads chapter 6

67. (transitive)

to cut the top branches or shoots off (a tree or plant)

68. (intransitive)

to form a head, as a boil or plant

69. (intransitive; often foll by in)

(of streams, rivers, etc) to originate or rise in

70. head them

Derived forms

headlike (ˈheadˌlike)

adjective

Word origin

Old English hēafod; related to Old Norse haufuth, Old Frisian hāved, Old Saxon hōbid, Old High German houbit

Word Frequency

Head in British English

(hɛd )

noun

Edith. 1907–81, US dress designer: won many Oscars for her Hollywood film costume designs

Word Frequency

-head in British English

combining form

indicating a person having a preoccupation as specified

breadhead

Word Frequency

head in American English

(hɛd )

noun

the top part of the body in humans, the apes, etc., or the front part in most other animals: in higher animals it is a bony structure containing the brain, and including the jaws, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth

this part exclusive of the face

the head as the seat of reason, memory, and imagination; mind; intelligence

to use one's head

aptitude; ability

to have a head for mathematics

c. Informal

a headache, esp. as part of a hangover

the head as a symbol for the individual; person

dinner at five dollars a head

4. Word forms: plural head

the head as a unit of counting

fifty head of cattle

a representation of a head, as in painting or sculpture

the obverse of a coin, usually with such a representation

: often heads

the highest or uppermost part or thing; top

; specif.,

the top of a page, column of figures, etc.

a printed title at the top of a page, section of writing, etc.

a chief point of discussion; topic of a section, chapter, etc. in a speech or written work

a headline for a newspaper story

froth floating on newly poured effervescent beverages, esp. on beer

that end of a cask or barrel which is uppermost at any time

the upper edge or corner of a sail

the foremost part of a thing; front

; specif.,

a part associated with the human head

the head of a bed

the end of a pier farthest from land

the front part of a ship; bow

d. Nautical

a toilet, or lavatory

the front position, as of a column of marchers

either end of something; extremity

the projecting part of something

; specif.,

the part designed for holding, pushing, striking, etc.

the head of a pin, the head of a golf club

a jutting mass of rock, land, etc. as of a mountain

a point of land; promontory; headland

a projecting place in a boil or other inflammation where pus is about to break through

the part of a tape recorder that records or plays back the magnetic signals on the tape

warhead

10.

the membrane stretched across the end of a drum, tambourine, etc.; drumhead

11.

the source of a flowing body of water; beginning of a stream, river, etc.

12.

a source of water kept at some height to supply a mill, etc.

the height of such a source of water or the vertical distance through which it falls

a rush of water, as in a riptide

13.

the pressure in an enclosed fluid, as steam, from its own weight or applied externally

14.

a position of leadership, honor, or first importance

the head of the class

15.

the person who is foremost or in charge; leader, ruler, chief, director, etc.

16.

a headmaster

17. Botany

a dense cluster of tiny sessile flowers attached to a common receptacle, as in the composite family

a large, compact bud

a head of cabbage

the uppermost part of a plant's foliage

the head of a tree

18. US, Jazz

the melody or theme of a composition

an improvised, usually extemporaneous arrangement that is not written down

: in full head arrangement

19. Linguistics

any word or word group in a construction that functions grammatically like the entire construction

“woman” is the head of “the woman who wrote that book”

20. Mining

heading (sense 4)

21. Music

the rounded part of a note, at the end of the stem

22. US, Slang

a habitual user of a hallucinogen, stimulant, etc., as marijuana or cocaine

often in combination

acidhead

a person dedicated to, enthusiastic about, or addicted to some interest, activity, food, etc.

usually in combination

cheesehead

adjective

23.

of or having to do with the head

24.

most important; principal; commanding; first

25.

to be found at the top or front

26.

striking against the front

head winds

verb transitive

27.

to be the chief of or in charge of; command; direct

28.

to be at the top or beginning of; lead; precede

often with up

to head a list

to take a lead over, as in a race or competition

29.

to supply (a pin, etc.) with a head

30. Rare

to behead; decapitate

31.

to trim the higher part from (a tree or plant); poll

32. US

to go around the head of

to head a stream

33.

to turn or cause to go in a specified direction

to head a car for home

34. Soccer

to hit (the ball) with one's head

verb intransitive

35.

to grow or come to a head

36.

to set out; travel

to head eastward

37. US

to originate, as a river

Idioms:

Word origin

ME hede, heved < OE heafod, akin to Ger haupt (OHG houbit, Goth haubith) < IE base *kaput- (orig. prob. cup-shaped) > L caput: merged in Gmc with word akin to OHG hūba, a cap, crest (Ger haube) < IE base *keu-, to bend, curve

Word Frequency

-head in American English

(hɛd )

-hood

godhead

Word Frequency

-head in American English

suffix

a native English suffix meaning “state of being” ( godhead; maidenhead), occurring in words now mostly archaic or obsolete, many being superseded by forms in -hood

Word origin

[ME -hede, OE *-hǣdu, f. of -hād -hood]

Word Frequency

head in Chemical Engineering

(hɛd)

noun

(Chemical Engineering: General)

Head is a measure of pressure, which is based on the height of a column of liquid.

As water in the column pipe fills, air is released through an air release valve and the head builds to a sufficient level above atmospheric pressure (10 to 15 psi).

The head is a measure of the liquid pressure in comparison with that of the atmosphere.

Head is a measure of pressure, which is based on the height of a column of liquid.

fluid head, net positive suction head, velocity head

Word Frequency

head in Mechanical Engineering

(hɛd)

noun

(Mechanical engineering: Fluid engineering)

Head is a measure of pressure, which is based on the height of a column of liquid.

As water in the column pipe fills, air is released through an air release valve and the head builds to a sufficient level above atmospheric pressure.

Head is a measure of pressure at a given point in a water system, or the height of a column of water that would produce the pressure.

Head is a measure of pressure, which is based on the height of a column of liquid.

static head

Example sentences including
head

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

It was hard getting my head round all of that.You must walk away with your head held high.Do we really want to pat these people on the head and ask them to grow up?But the proliferation of pots with apparently competing attributes makes the head spin.It was incredible, seeing pictures in my head brought to life.Senior managers could be encouraged to leave industry and become heads to help tackle the shortage, gaining classroom experience as part of their training.The figures show that the university spent 32 a head on counselling services last year, well above the average.It pinged off my head into the top corner.They have been seen turning their head and preening their back while still flying.Yet there is concern that success may have gone to the heads of wine makers.

Word lists with
head

parts of plants

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

Score: 0 / 5

Which part of a plant am I?

the female reproductive organ of flowering plants, consisting of an ovary, style (sometimes absent), and stigma. The carpels are separate or fused to form a single pistil

carpel ovary pistil

Which part of a plant am I?

a cymose inflorescence in which each branch bearing a flower gives rise to two other flowering branches, as in the stitchwort

dichasium monochasium umbel

Which part of a plant am I?

the part of lower plants that bears the reproductive organs or spores

gametophore receptacle umbel

Which part of a plant am I?

the outer of two bracts surrounding each floret in a grass spikelet

guard cell lemma palea

Which part of a plant am I?

the organ of a higher plant that anchors the rest of the plant in the ground, absorbs water and mineral salts from the soil, and does not bear leaves or buds

root root hair xylem

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