header

noun head·er \ ˈhe-dər \

|Updated on: 23 Jun 2018

Definition of header

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 15a(1)

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

See header defined for English-language learners

See header defined for kids

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 of header from the Web

Oasko's gritty determination to set up one goal and his 73rd-minute header from Keisuke Honda's corner kick lifted Japan to a surprising 2-1 victory over the Colombians on Tuesday.

— brett martel, Houston Chronicle, "Japan tops Colombia in latest World Cup surprise," 19 June 2018
The Swedes then forced another fine save from Cho, who parried Toivonen's header from a Sebastian Larsson free kick - before the Koreans stretched the Swedes again and forced two corners in quick succession.

— SI.com, "Sweden 1-0 South Korea: Dream Start for Swedes as Granqvist Penalty Breaks Koreans' Resistance," 18 June 2018
El Trio forced Neuer into another save minutes later, this time from a Hector Moreno header from a deep free-kick.

— joe marcovitch, Pro Soccer USA, "Germany 0-1 Mexico: Reigning champions stunned by magnificent El Tri in World Cup opener," 17 June 2018
His sixth goal this season, his 37th-minute header was the game-winner in a 2-0 Futbol Club Cincinnati win over North Carolina FC on Saturday night.

— charlie hatch, Cincinnati.com, "Danni König is FC Cincinnati's new all-time goals leader after 2-0 win at North Carolina," 10 June 2018
Firmino glanced home a header from James Millner’s corner in the 69th.

— steve douglas, BostonGlobe.com, "Liverpool routs Roma in Champions League semifinal leg," 24 Apr. 2018
When the game finally ended and Loyola had pulled out a 2-1 victory on a goal off a header from senior Sean Traylor, the emotions came pouring out.

— eric sondheimer, latimes.com, "Emotions run high as Loyola beats Cathedral 2-1 in soccer," 9 Mar. 2018
Da Silva put Caen ahead with a firm header from a corner in the 53rd before Bammou pounced in the 57th with a fine half-volley.

— USA TODAY, "Monaco rallies from 2-0 down and a red card to beat Lyon 3-2," 4 Feb. 2018
Default,headers:new o.a})}return a(t,e),t.decorators=[{type:i.

— Car and Driver, "No title," 30 May 2018

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

First Known Use of header

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

header Synonyms

Synonyms

caption, head, heading, headline, rubric, title;

Related Words

banner, streamer;

catch word, guide word, running head;

greeting, salutation;

superscript, superscription;

subhead, subheading, subtitle;

HEADER Defined for English Language Learners

header

noun

Definition of header for English Language Learners

: a word, phrase, etc., that is placed at the beginning of a document, passage, etc., or at the top of a page
: a fall in which your head hits the ground
soccer : a shot or pass made by hitting the ball with your head