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

Messi's corner kick in the 74th minute helped set up a header by Micael and Inter Miami took a 3-2 lead. —CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026

Then, the Bespoke Publishing Operations team gets the manuscripts ready to print, preparing the layout and design of the book, including internal art on chapter headers, font and maps. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026

The senior buried a header into the net for the only score of the game. —Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2026

Goodwin, in the 77th minute, flicked in a header off a cross by David Schnegg for his first goal in MLS and capped the scoring in the third minute of stoppage time. —ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026

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