header

noun

head·​er ˈhe-dər 

1

: one that removes heads

especially : a grain-harvesting machine that cuts off the grain heads and elevates them to a wagon

2

a

: a brick or stone laid in a wall with its end toward the face of the wall

b

: a beam fitted at one side of an opening to support free ends of floor joists, studs, or rafters

c

: a horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening : lintel

d

: a conduit (such as an exhaust pipe for a many-cylindered engine) into which a number of smaller conduits open

e

: a mounting plate through which electrical terminals pass from a sealed device (such as a transistor)

3

: a fall or dive headfirst

took a header into the pool

4

: a shot or pass in soccer made by heading the ball

5

a

: head sense 15a(1)

b

: information (such as a page number) printed or placed at the top of each page of a document compare footer sense 2

Synonyms

• title
• caption
• heading
• headline

Examples of header in a Sentence

She tripped on the rock and took a header.

He scored with a header past the goalie.

Recent Examples on the Web

There were no records set in the 2-1 win over Al-Hilal in the July 4 quarterfinals, although Fabio was called on to make a big-time stop, pushing away Kalidou Koulibaly's header from Ruben Neves' free kick to help preserve the win. —Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

Bayern had two apparent goals flagged for offside, including a header by Kane. —Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025

Mexico holds a 5-2 edge, but the U.S. won the most recent meeting in 2021 on an extra-time header from Miles Robinson — the match’s lone goal — that secured the team’s seventh trophy. —Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 5 July 2025

The Loons peppered Dallas with set pieces in the first half and broke through in the 35th minute on Carlos Harvey’s header from Julian Gressel’s quality free kick. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 5 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing header

• triple-header

Rhymes for header

• cheddar
• pedder
• redder
• shredder
• spreader

Kids Definition

header

noun

head·​er ˈhed-ər 

: a fall or dive headfirst

took a header downstairs