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

Dragusin blocked a header from Gyokeres that was bouncing into the bottom corner in the third minute. —Jay Harris, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026

Kelvin Yeboah scored on a header at the back post to snag a road point in the Loons’ season opener. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 22 Feb. 2026

McVey opened the scoring in the 14th minute, bouncing a header inside the back post, and Pelligrino scored in the second minute of stoppage time to give San Diego a 2-0 lead at halftime. —ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026

In just 10 seconds, the move finished with a stunning service by Darren Yapi for a header into the net from Rafael Navarro. —Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 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