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

And after carrying some double-headers in recent weeks, NBC curiously opted to air only single games on Monday and Tuesday this week (the series openers of Knicks-76ers and Lakers-OKC), and stuck its two other playoff games those nights on Peacock. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026

The height in Newcastle’s line-up paid early dividends through Will Osula and Dan Burn headers inside 25 minutes, putting the hosts 2-0 up. —Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 May 2026

Traoré's touch on a header landed in the path of St-Georges for the game-winner in stoppage time to complete the comeback for the Legacy (1-5-1). —CBS News, 4 May 2026

Banda’s first goal came in the 33rd minute with her back to the goal, controlling a header from Rafaelle and twisting around to slot it home for her sixth goal of the season to cut the lead to 2-1. —Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 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