head

noun

\ ˈhed

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

e : headache

3 : the obverse (see obverse entry 2 sense 1) of a coin —usually used in plural call 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

a : headmaster

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 combination pothead

b : a devoted enthusiast : aficionado —often used in combination computerhead

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

adjective

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

verb

headed; heading; heads

Definition of head (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : behead

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.

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing head Learn More About head

Synonyms for head

Synonyms: Noun

bean,
block
[slang],
dome,
mazard
(or mazzard)
[chiefly dialect],
nob,
noddle,
noggin,
noodle,
nut
[slang],
pate,
poll

Synonyms: Adjective

Synonyms: Verb

bear,
make

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun There's always one shot that leaves a golfer shaking his or her head. — Mike Hutton, Post-Tribune, 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, 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, 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, 19 July 2017 Turning this on its head, the susceptibility of Bose– — Thilo Stöferle, Ars Technica, 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, 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, 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, 14 July 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective If Scalley becomes head coach, common sense and human nature dictate that it will not be met with universal praise. — Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 June 2022 Derek Fisher and the Sparks mutually agreed to part ways after a disappointing 5-7 start to the season, the team announced Tuesday, relieving him of head coach and general manager duties. — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2022 The Bengals have yet to announce who will assume the role of head athletic trainer in place of Sparling. — Kelsey Conway, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2022 Cain came up limping after grounding out to open the Brewers’ first inning, hitting the bag awkwardly and getting medical attention on the bench from head athletic trainer Scott Barringer. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2021 In other words, it’s both. Ryan Day, the head coach of Ohio State’s football team, surely thinks of his program and school as transformational places, too. — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, 5 June 2022 Grace, who lives in Phoenix, was a head high school coach for two seasons, from 2004-06 at Phoenix South Mountain. — Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 4 June 2022 Brad Stevens going from head coach to president of basketball operations drew more attention than hiring the longtime NBA assistant. — USA TODAY, 3 June 2022 Rolando Acebal, the head coach of Cuba’s boxing team, said the decision was also essential to keep the sport top-flight, especially as professionals have been eligible to compete in the Olympics since 2016. — New York Times, 30 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Discover our top picks below, and head to Tory Burch's site to check out the rest of the amazing deals. — Sam Peters, Town & Country, 17 June 2022 Texans head coach Lovie Smith was fined $50,000 for unauthorized drills during the team's Organized Team Activities (OTA) practices. — Matt Young, Chron, 17 June 2022 But for a gift-shop find that truly upends expectations of what the Black Forest has to offer, head 5 miles south to the town of Hornberg, home of the Schwarzwälder Pilzlehrschau mushroom school. — Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, 17 June 2022 Indigenous Australian rapper Baker Boy is using his trip to play his first headlining gig – a June 14 show at Los Angeles’ Moroccan Lounge – and then head to New York for the showcase. — Taylor Mims, Billboard, 16 June 2022 One of the best ways to spend a summer evening is to make some popcorn, throw on a sweater, and head outside to enjoy a good movie. — Rachel Simon, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 June 2022 Adam Campbell, professional mountain runner, world champion medalist and Arc'teryx athlete since 2007, now lives in Squamish, B.C., and will head the product testing team. — Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 16 June 2022 Arctic bears now move to land when the sea-ice season ends or head further north. — Fortune, 16 June 2022 They got lost on route to Stowe and decided instead to head to Nevada. — Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 29 Apr. 2022 See More

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.

Learn More About head

Dictionary Entries Near head

he's

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Cite this Entry

“Head.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/head. Accessed 28 Jun. 2022.

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More Definitions for head

head

noun

\ ˈhed

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

adjective

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

verb

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

noun

\ 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

2 : headache

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