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

Brighton were 1-0 up after half an hour via an early header from Danny Welbeck, when Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili pumped a long ball down the middle of the pitch from midway inside his own half. —Andy Naylor, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026

Calhanoglu started the comeback with a long, powerful shot and then equalized with a header in the 86th. —ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026

Similarly, corruption or physical damage might destroy a file’s header, which contains its identifying metadata, while leaving other parts of it untouched. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

German Berterame doubled the lead to 2-0 with a header in the 49th minute off a Mateo Silvetti cross, his second goal in as many games after going scoreless through his first six matches. —Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 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