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

informal : 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 of header

• 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

The third, scored by Gooing, was a header from a corner. —Michael Walker, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

This score would hold until the 77th minute, when Pouliot’s header evened the score at two and sent the game to extra time. —Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025

Timbers midfielder Omir Fernandez barely missed a header wide of the net in the 66th minute, Sisniega made his first save of the match in the 71st minute on a shot from Velde, and then Velde barely missed wide on a diving header attempt in the 74th minute. —Austin White, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025

The lineup for this weekend is incredible and includes 13 of the top 25 college football teams on our platforms, a double header of NWSL games on ESPN, and leads right into Monday Night Football featuring the Arizona Cardinals vs. the Dallas Cowboys on ABC. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 31 Oct. 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