head

\ ˈhed

How to pronounce head (audio)

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Definition of head

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : the upper or anterior division of the animal body that contains the brain, the chief sense organs, and the mouth nodded his head in agreement

2a : the seat of the intellect : mind two heads are better than one

b : a person with respect to mental qualities let wiser heads prevail

c : natural aptitude or talent a good head for figures

d : mental or emotional control : poise a level head

3 : the obverse (see obverse entry 2 sense 1) of a coin —usually used in pluralcall heads or tails

4a : person, individual count heads

b plural head : one of a number (as of domestic animals) sold twenty head of cattle

5a : the end that is upper or higher or opposite the foot the head of the table head of a sail

b : the source of a stream or river the head of the Nile

c : either end of something (such as a drum) whose two ends need not be distinguished

6 : director, leader: such as

b : one in charge of a division or department in an office or institution the head of the English department met with the other department heads

7a : capitulum sense 2

b : the foliaged part of a plant especially when consisting of a compact mass of leaves, flowers, or fruit a head of lettuce a single head of grain

8a : the leading element of a military column or a procession

b : headway often she had to fight for her head as the press of sail buried her bow— C. V. Reilly

9a : the uppermost extremity or projecting part of an object : top the head of a bolt

b : the striking part of a weapon, tool, or implement the head of an ax

c : the rounded proximal end of a long bone (such as the humerus)

d : the end of a muscle nearest the origin

e : the oval part of a printed musical note

10a : a body of water kept in reserve at a height also : the containing bank, dam, or wall

b : a mass of water in motion (as in a rip current)

11a : the difference in elevation between two points in a body of fluid

b : the resulting pressure of the fluid at the lower point expressible as this height broadly : pressure of a fluid an engine with a full head of steam

12a : the bow and adjacent parts of a ship

b : a ship's toilet broadly : toilet sense 1

13 : the approximate length of the head of a horse won by a head

14 : the place of leadership, honor, or command at the head of her class

15a(1) : a word or series of words often in larger letters placed at the beginning of a passage or at the top of a page in order to introduce or categorize

(2) : a separate part or topic heads of a sermon

b : a portion of a page or sheet that is above the first line of printing

16 : the foam or scum that rises on a fermenting or effervescing liquid (such as beer)

17a : the part of a boil, pimple, or abscess at which it is likely to break

b : culminating point of action : crisis events came to a head

18a : a part or attachment of a machine or machine tool containing a device (such as a cutter or drill) turret head of a lathe also : the part of an apparatus that performs the chief function or a particular function a drill head

b magnetic recording : an electromagnet used as a transducer for recording on, reading, or erasing a magnetic medium (such as tape or a disk)

19 grammar : an immediate constituent of a construction that can have the same grammatical function as the whole (such as man in "an old man," "a very old man," or "the man in the street")

20a : one who uses a drug —often used in combinationpothead

b : a devoted enthusiast : aficionado —often used in combinationcomputerhead

21 usually vulgar : fellatio, cunnilingus —usually used with give

by the head

: drawing the greater depth of water forward

off one's head

: crazy, distracted

out of one's head

: delirious Her parents were out of their heads with worry.

over one's head

1 : beyond one's comprehension or competence the most awful intellectual detail, all of it over my head— E. B. White

2 : so as to pass over one's superior standing or authority went over my head to complain

head

Definition of head (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : of, relating to, or intended for the upper or anterior division of the animal body that contains the brain, the chief sense organs, and the mouth : of, relating to, or intended for the head (see head entry 1 sense 1) head injuries

2 : principal, chief head cook

3 : located at the end that is upper or higher : situated at the head (see head entry 1 sense 5a) head sails

4 : coming from in front head sea

head

headed; heading; heads

Definition of head (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

2a : to put the striking part of a weapon, tool, or implement on : fit a head (see head entry 1 sense 9b) to head an arrow

b : to form the uppermost extremity or projecting part of : to form the head or top of tower headed by a spire

3 : to act as leader or director of : to act as head (see head entry 1 sense 6) to head a revolt

4a : to get in front of so as to hinder, stop, or turn back head a herd of cattle

b : to take a lead over (as in a race) : surpass

c : to pass (a stream) by going round above the source

5a : to place something at the beginning or top of (something) in order to introduce or categorize : to put something at the head of (something, as a list) Each page was headed with the writer's name.

b : to stand as the first or leading member of heads the list of heroes

6 : to set the course of head a ship northward

7 : to hit and propel (something, such as a soccer ball) with the head (see head entry 1 sense 1) headed the ball into the goal

intransitive verb

1 : to form a compact mass of leaves or fruit : to form a head (see head entry 1 sense 7b) This type of cabbage heads early.

2 : to point or proceed in a certain direction headed south

3 : to have a source : originate The river heads in those mountains.

Other Words from head Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about head

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Examples of head in a Sentence

Noun She patted the dog on the head. He nodded his head in agreement. The ceiling's low—watch your head! Adjective as head editor at the TV station for 17 years, he has hired and fired innumerable staff members Verb The group was headed by the church pastor. He was accused of heading the revolt. I hopped in the car and headed down the street. After lunch, we headed back to the office. She headed out early this morning. The birds have already started heading south for the winter. The forward headed the ball into the goal.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun There's always one shot that leaves a golfer shaking his or her head. — Mike Hutton, Post-Tribune, "Crown Point's Yianni Kostouros keeps momentum going in Northern Amateur," 19 July 2017 Delimitros said one of the truck’s side view mirrors struck her in the head, causing minor injuries. — David Hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Police: Pickup driver deliberately hits traffic controller near Convention Center," 19 July 2017 Cal Fire representatives said the current parking mess has already impacted them because the driveway to their station enters the highway not far from the trail head. — J. Harry Jones, Ramona Sentinel, "Groups brainstorm solutions to Mt. Woodson parking," 19 July 2017 Now, Maineri heads into year 12 with 18 pitchers on his roster, hoping that rising junior Caleb Gilbert and sophomore-to-be Zach Hess will emerge at the top of the pitching rotation. — John Roach, NOLA.com, "LSU's Ed Orgeron answers on ESPN: 'What is the biggest change you've brought?'," 19 July 2017 Turning this on its head, the susceptibility of Bose– — Thilo Stöferle, Ars Technica, "The science of Spectral: Is that really how Bose–Einstein condensate behaves?," 18 July 2017 Head over to PCWorld’s comprehensive Windows 10 Creators Update review for the full rundown and extensive hands-on impressions, or our round-up of the Creators Update’s best new features. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld, "Windows 10 Creators Update FAQ: Everything you need to know," 17 July 2017 The Senate bill would also require the head of Air Force Space Command to serve for six years, rather than two or four years. — Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Space Corps Military Branch Approved by House," 15 July 2017 Facing a potential recall, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has a huge head start on anyone who wants to run for his job. — Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett raised $123,000 in first six months of the year," 14 July 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Andrew played two years for David at Hardin-Jefferson before David was hired to be the head coach at Alief Hastings in 2013. — Greg Luca, ExpressNews.com, "UTSA’s Martel leans on football background to thrive as leader," 7 Nov. 2019 First things first: Why was Taggart — a head coach with a career losing record of 47-50 — hired by FSU in the first place and given an exorbitant salary of $5 million per season? — Mike Bianchi, orlandosentinel.com, "FSU should be ashamed of itself for the firing — and hiring — of Willie Taggart | Commentary," 3 Nov. 2019 Running backs coach Autry Denson, the former Notre Dame star who left after last season to become head coach at FBS Charleston Southern, was the Prides’ main recruiting contract with the Irish. — Mike Berardino, Indianapolis Star, "The amazing survival story of Notre Dame cornerback Troy Pride Jr., and his family," 1 Nov. 2019 But Pitino quit afterward to become head coach at the University of Kentucky. — Richard Goldstein, New York Times, "Al Bianchi, Pro Basketball Coach and Knicks G.M., Dies at 87," 29 Oct. 2019 Toward the end of his four seasons there, Gattis had the fortune of being at the right place, at the right time – smack dab at the center of a grand experiment conducted by Joe Moorhead, now the head coach at Mississippi State. — Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, "Inside Josh Gattis' humbling start at Michigan football: One coach feels his pain," 18 Oct. 2019 McDonnell has been head coach at Louisville since 2007. — Rana L. Cash, The Courier-Journal, "U of L baseball coach Dan McDonnell awarded new contract that only gets better with time," 18 Oct. 2019 Former Utah play caller Troy Taylor (who made $525,000 last season at Utah) left the program to be the head coach at Sacramento State. — oregonlive, "Canzano: Oregon State not ready for Utah football bulldozer, but the Oregon Ducks might be," 13 Oct. 2019 Although neither head coach heard profanity, the referee deemed the remark to be an obscenity and rolled the Ramona player. — Joe Naiman, Ramona Sentinel, "Bulldogs post three-match win streak," 2 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Lawmakers in La Paz, the country’s most important city, scrambled to take charge as the streets emptied out, with residents leaving work early and heading indoors, fearing for their safety. — BostonGlobe.com, "LA PAZ, Bolivia — Evo Morales, the former president of Bolivia who resigned under pressure from street protests and the military, was granted asylum in Mexico on Monday, setting up his departure from the country at a time when it is deeply polarized and leaderless.," 12 Nov. 2019 The Nana Provider, which is owned by Alaska Marine Lines, was grounded on Quadra Island, just east of Vancouver Island, on Saturday around 8 p.m. The barge was being pulled by the tugboat Polar King and was headed toward Whittier. — Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska barge damaged after running aground in British Columbia," 12 Nov. 2019 As officers began checking the area the vehicle was observed on Memorial heading towards Voss. — Houston Chronicle, "Memorial Villages Police Department weekly report," 11 Nov. 2019 As Ole Miss attempted to drive for the winning score in the closing seconds — only to be thwarted by Christian Tutt’s game-sealing interception — the Rebels did so while heading right into Auburn’s student section. — Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, "Auburn players expect fans to ‘bring some juice’ to Jordan-Hare Stadium for Georgia game," 11 Nov. 2019 Rain showers are likely through the day, but that is expected to change to snow late in the day Monday as temperatures head steadily down. — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, "Winter storm watch on horizon for Cuyahoga County, snow belt areas: Cleveland, Akron weather," 11 Nov. 2019 That’s a lucid sign of where this new form of mini communication is headed in the coming years, not just as a digital recreation for individuals but for brands who have already started benefitting from it. — Abhik Choudhury, Quartz India, "A dummies guide to running brand campaigns on TikTok in India," 11 Nov. 2019 Will 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan trust McLaughlin? — Ron Kroichick, SFChronicle.com, "49ers will lean on untested kicker Chase McLaughlin in big game vs. Seattle," 11 Nov. 2019 Lawmakers in La Paz, the country’s most important city, scrambled to take charge as the streets emptied out, with residents leaving work early and heading indoors, fearing for their safety. — Clifford Krauss, New York Times, "Evo Morales of Bolivia Accepts Asylum in Mexico," 11 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'head.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Time Traveler for head

The first known use of head was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for head

head

noun

English Language Learners Definition of head

(Entry 1 of 2)

: the part of the body containing the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth

: a person's mental ability : mind or intellect

: a person who has a specified mental or emotional quality

head

verb

English Language Learners Definition of head (Entry 2 of 2)

: to be the leader of (something)

: to be first on (a list)

: to go in a specified direction or toward a specified place

See the full definition for head in the English Language Learners Dictionary

head

\ ˈhed

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Kids Definition of head

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : the part of the body containing the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth

2 : mind entry 1 sense 1 Mom has a good head for figures.

3 : control of the mind or feelings He kept his head during the emergency.

4 : the side of a coin or medal usually thought of as the front

5 : director sense 1, leader She's the head of the school department.

6 : each person among a number Count heads to make sure everyone is here.

7 plural head : a unit of number They own 100 head of cattle.

8 : something like a head in position or use the head of a bed

9 : the place where a stream begins

10 : a tight mass of plant parts (as leaves or flowers) a head of cabbage

11 : a part of a machine, tool, or weapon that performs the main work head of a spear shower head

12 : a place of leadership or honor He is at the head of his class.

13 : climax, crisis Events came to a head.

over someone's head

: beyond someone's understanding Their discussion was way over my head.

head

Kids Definition of head (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : chief entry 2 sense 1 He's the head coach.

2 : located at the front We sat at the head table.

3 : coming from in front We sailed into a head wind.

head

headed; heading

Kids Definition of head (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : to be the leader of She headed the investigation.

2 : to go or cause to go in a certain direction Let's head for home.

3 : to be first or get in front of He heads the list of candidates.

4 : to provide with or form a head This cabbage heads early.

head

\ ˈhed

\

Medical Definition of head

1 : the division of the human body that contains the brain, the eyes, the ears, the nose, and the mouth also : the corresponding anterior division of the body of various animals including all vertebrates, most arthropods, and many mollusks and worms

3 : a projection or extremity especially of an anatomical part: as

a : the rounded proximal end of a long bone (as the humerus)

b : the end of a muscle nearest the origin

c : the anterior end of an invertebrate : scolex

4 : the part of a boil, pimple, or abscess at which it is likely to break

5 : the end of a lipid molecule that consists of a polar group and is regarded as being opposite to the tail

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head

Legal Definition of head

: any of a number of individuals

by heads

: per capita —used in the rules of intestate succession in Louisiana

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WORD OF THE DAY

recondite

concealed or difficult to comprehend

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