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

Like all funny writers, Park is attentive to form, and uses headers and other formal shifts to get in little jokes and control his pacing. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026

Navarro scored again in the 51st minute with a header for a 2-1 lead. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026

Three of Haaland’s five goals in City’s last four matches have been headers, an area of his game that was always a relative weakness but suddenly seems to have improved. — Sam Lee, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

For the second week in a row, Brazilian star Casemiro got Miami on the scoreboard with a header off a Messi corner kick. — Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing header

• triple-header

Rhymes for header

• cheddar
• redder
• shredder
• spreader

Kids Definition

header

noun

head·​er ˈhed-ər 

: a fall or dive headfirst

took a header downstairs