wellhead

noun

well·​head ˈwel-ˌhed How to pronounce wellhead (audio)
1
: the source of a spring or a stream
2
: principal source : fountainhead
3
: the top of or a structure built over a well

Examples of wellhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Harvard Business Review - Baggage handlers, pest-control specialists, and welders are more likely to suffer workplace injuries than those working traditionally dangerous jobs like boilermakers or wellhead pumpers. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2023 During the Trump Administration, even federal efforts to slow down leaks, such as by tightening operations at wellheads and pumping stations, were largely abandoned. Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2023 The Impact: Flaring, which looks like flames sprouting from wellheads, releases planet-warming carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Krista Langlois, Outside Online, 10 Mar. 2023 Refining allows Exxon to earn money right along the fossil fuel supply chain, from the wellhead to the gas tank. Kevin Crowley, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2023 The wellhead, officials say, will never be used again for oil drilling [Christian Science Monitor]. Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2010 Enter the sanctuary between intact columns (look for a relief of a menorah jutting off one of the capitals), walk on the black-and-white mosaic floors, and peer down a marble wellhead that may once have been part of the mikvah. David Laskin Martin Pauer, New York Times, 1 May 2023 Both studies suggest that a combination of technologies is needed to effectively identify leaks from wellheads, pipelines, tanks, and other equipment. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023 The company Planet is working with the state of California and a bunch of nonprofits to launch a satellite constellation called Carbon Mapper that will track methane leaks at wellheads or pipelines or wherever methane might be leaking. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wellhead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wellhead was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wellhead

Cite this Entry

“Wellhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wellhead. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

wellhead

noun
well·​head ˈwel-ˌhed How to pronounce wellhead (audio)
: the top of or a structure built over a well

More from Merriam-Webster on wellhead

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