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 Current seemed to retreat deep, and the header back into the soft spot of the Current’s defense found the foot of Kristen McNabb — who was one of three unmarked Wave players around the ball. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

England raced into a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes courtesy of an excellent Declan Rice solo run and finish and Ezri Konsa’s header from a Rice corner. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Ferran Torres, who had just substituted in, had a great header after a cross from Yamal in the 66th minute, but Martínez was right there once more. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026

Portland midfielder Diego Gonzalez struck the post minutes before halftime, while Crull had a header cleared off the line by Portland defender Brecc Evans in the 69th minute. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 18 July 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