head

1 of 3

noun

plural heads
1
: the upper or anterior division of the animal body that contains the brain, the chief sense organs, and the mouth
nodded his head in agreement
2
a
: the seat of the intellect : mind
two heads are better than one
b
: a person with respect to mental qualities
let wiser heads prevail
c
: natural aptitude or talent
a good head for figures
d
: mental or emotional control : poise
a level head
e
3
: the obverse (see obverse entry 2 sense 1) of a coin
usually used in plural
call heads or tails
4
a
: person, individual
count heads
b
plural head : one of a number (as of domestic animals)
sold twenty head of cattle
5
a
: the end that is upper or higher or opposite the foot
the head of the table
head of a sail
b
: the source of a stream or river
the head of the Nile
c
: either end of something (such as a drum) whose two ends need not be distinguished
6
: director, leader: such as
b
: one in charge of a division or department in an office or institution
the head of the English department
met with the other department heads
7
b
: the foliaged part of a plant especially when consisting of a compact mass of leaves, flowers, or fruit
a head of lettuce
a single head of grain
8
a
: the leading element of a military column or a procession
b
: headway
Often, she had to fight for her head as the press of sail buried her bow.C. V. Reilly
9
a
: the uppermost extremity or projecting part of an object : top
the head of a bolt
b
: the striking part of a weapon, tool, or implement
the head of an ax
c
: the rounded proximal end of a long bone (such as the humerus)
d
: the end of a muscle nearest the origin
e
: the oval part of a printed musical note
10
a
: a body of water kept in reserve at a height
also : the containing bank, dam, or wall
b
: a mass of water in motion (as in a rip current)
11
a
: the difference in elevation between two points in a body of fluid
b
: the resulting pressure of the fluid at the lower point expressible as this height
broadly : pressure of a fluid
an engine with a full head of steam
12
a
: the bow and adjacent parts of a ship
b
: a ship's toilet
broadly : toilet sense 1
13
: the approximate length of the head of a horse
won by a head
14
: the place of leadership, honor, or command
at the head of her class
15
a(1)
: a word or series of words often in larger letters placed at the beginning of a passage or at the top of a page in order to introduce or categorize
(2)
: a separate part or topic
heads of a sermon
b
: a portion of a page or sheet that is above the first line of printing
16
: the foam or scum that rises on a fermenting or effervescing liquid (such as beer)
17
a
: the part of a boil, pimple, or abscess at which it is likely to break
b
: culminating point of action : crisis
events came to a head
18
a
: a part or attachment of a machine or machine tool containing a device (such as a cutter or drill)
turret head of a lathe
also : the part of an apparatus that performs the chief function or a particular function
a drill head
b
magnetic recording : an electromagnet used as a transducer for recording on, reading, or erasing a magnetic medium (such as tape or a disk)
19
grammar : an immediate constituent of a construction that can have the same grammatical function as the whole (such as man in "an old man," "a very old man," or "the man in the street")
20
a
: one who uses a drug
often used in combination
pothead
b
: a devoted enthusiast : aficionado
often used in combination
computerhead
21
usually vulgar : fellatio, cunnilingus
usually used with give

head

2 of 3

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or intended for the upper or anterior division of the animal body that contains the brain, the chief sense organs, and the mouth : of, relating to, or intended for the head (see head entry 1 sense 1)
head injuries
2
: principal, chief
head cook
3
: located at the end that is upper or higher : situated at the head (see head entry 1 sense 5a)
head sails
4
: coming from in front
head sea

head

3 of 3

verb

headed; heading; heads

transitive verb

1
: behead
2
a
: to put the striking part of a weapon, tool, or implement on : fit a head (see head entry 1 sense 9b) to
head an arrow
b
: to form the uppermost extremity or projecting part of : to form the head or top of
tower headed by a spire
3
: to act as leader or director of : to act as head (see head entry 1 sense 6) to
head a revolt
4
a
: to get in front of so as to hinder, stop, or turn back
head a herd of cattle
b
: to take a lead over (as in a race) : surpass
c
: to pass (a stream) by going round above the source
5
a
: to place something at the beginning or top of (something) in order to introduce or categorize : to put something at the head of (something, as a list)
Each page was headed with the writer's name.
b
: to stand as the first or leading member of
heads the list of heroes
6
: to set the course of
head a ship northward
7
: to hit and propel (something, such as a soccer ball) with the head (see head entry 1 sense 1)
headed the ball into the goal

intransitive verb

1
: to form a compact mass of leaves or fruit : to form a head (see head entry 1 sense 7b)
This type of cabbage heads early.
2
: to point or proceed in a certain direction
headed south
3
: to have a source : originate
The river heads in those mountains.
Phrases
by the head
: drawing the greater depth of water forward
off one's head
: unable to think in a clear or sensible way : emotionally disturbed or mentally unsound
was off his head on drugs
out of one's head
: delirious
Her parents were out of their heads with worry.
over one's head
1
: beyond one's comprehension or competence
… the most awful intellectual detail, all of it over my head.E. B. White
2
: so as to pass over one's superior standing or authority
went over my head to complain

Examples of head in a Sentence

Noun She patted the dog on the head. He nodded his head in agreement. The ceiling's low—watch your head! Adjective as head editor at the TV station for 17 years, he has seen many news anchors come and go Verb The group was headed by the church pastor. He was accused of heading the revolt. I hopped in the car and headed down the street. After lunch, we headed back to the office. She headed out early this morning. The birds have already started heading south for the winter. The forward headed the ball into the goal.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There's always one shot that leaves a golfer shaking his or her head. Mike Hutton, Post-Tribune, 19 July 2017 Delimitros said one of the truck’s side view mirrors struck her in the head, causing minor injuries. David Hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, 19 July 2017 Cal Fire representatives said the current parking mess has already impacted them because the driveway to their station enters the highway not far from the trail head. J. Harry Jones, Ramona Sentinel, 19 July 2017 Now, Maineri heads into year 12 with 18 pitchers on his roster, hoping that rising junior Caleb Gilbert and sophomore-to-be Zach Hess will emerge at the top of the pitching rotation. John Roach, NOLA.com, 19 July 2017 Turning this on its head, the susceptibility of Bose– Thilo Stöferle, Ars Technica, 18 July 2017 Head over to PCWorld’s comprehensive Windows 10 Creators Update review for the full rundown and extensive hands-on impressions, or our round-up of the Creators Update’s best new features. Brad Chacos, PCWorld, 17 July 2017 The Senate bill would also require the head of Air Force Space Command to serve for six years, rather than two or four years. Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, 15 July 2017 Facing a potential recall, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has a huge head start on anyone who wants to run for his job. Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 14 July 2017
Adjective
Mayowa, the shy one, had a head scarf holding back all but a few of his dreadlocks. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Before departing, the team spotted a woman dressed in a head scarf being led to an ambulance containing three bodies wrapped in sheets, one of them child-sized. Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024 Many are drawing comparisons to Amini, who died in custody of the morality police last year after she was arrested for allegedly wearing her head scarf too loosely. Solcyre Burga, TIME, 5 Oct. 2023 Ramos, a 15-year coaching veteran who led the United States U20 team from 2011-19, was most recently head coach of the USL Championship’s Hartford Athletic. Joe Eachus, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Sep. 2023 Bowman also is the head physician for Vanderbilt University’s sports teams and the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team. Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 Agents found one skull wrapped in a head scarf and another sitting on a mattress where Nott slept. Andrew Wolfson, USA TODAY, 13 July 2023 Rae finished off accessorizing her brown Alo Yoga short-shorts and gray tank with layered necklaces, square sunglasses worn on top of the head scarf and a pair of hoops. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2023 Kinne was previously head coach on the FCS at Incarnate Word, which averaged 51.5 points, nearly 600 yards of offense and more than 70 offensive plays per game in 2022. Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 26 July 2023
Verb
Ohio primary a political knife fight Ohio's GOP Senate primary is heading toward a ferocious finish after Moreno, Dolan and LaRose have savaged each other for months. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Lady Gaga is headed back to Las Vegas for a summer run of more Jazz & Piano shows. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2024 Bitcoin drags down crypto stocks Bitcoin saw a sudden drop overnight in its value, heading from $73,000 to $63,000 in just five days. Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 All three Ball brothers were UCLA recruits Though Lonzo only spent one season at UCLA before heading to the NBA, his younger brothers followed in his footsteps. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 Republican voters will decide Tuesday whether Frank LaRose, Bernie Moreno or Matt Dolan will take on Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall Ohio's Republican Senate primary is heading for a brutal finale. USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Sunny Days Entertainment Bubbles Leaf Blower $26 $20 Celebrate the return of spring by heading outdoors to blow some bubbles! Maya Polton, Parents, 18 Mar. 2024 Now at Howard University in Washington D.C., Towns is heading back to March Madness after the Bison beat Delaware State 70-67 on Saturday to win a second-straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and punch their ticket to the tournament. Sam Joseph, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 Plans for the play to head to Broadway fell through in 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic. Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English hed, from Old English hēafod; akin to Old High German houbit head, Latin caput

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of head was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near head

Cite this Entry

“Head.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/head. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

head

1 of 3 noun
1
: the upper or front part of the body (as of a human being or an insect) that contains the brain, the chief sense organs, and the mouth
2
a
: mind entry 1 sense 2, understanding
a good head for figures
b
: control of the mind or feelings
kept a level head in time of danger
3
: the side of a coin bearing a head or the major design
4
a
: person sense 1, individual
count heads
b
plural head : one of a number (as of livestock)
100 head of cattle
5
a
: the end that is upper or higher or opposite the foot
the head of the bed
b
: the uppermost part : top
c
: a skin or something like a thin piece of skin stretched across one or both ends of a drum
6
7
: a compact mass of plant parts (as leaves or flowers)
a head of cabbage
8
a
: the place where a stream begins
b
: the difference in elevation between two points in a body of fluid
c
: the resulting pressure at the lower point
also : pressure of a fluid
a head of steam
9
a
: the place of leadership or command
the person at the head of the group
b
: a person in this place : chief, leader
10
: the foam that rises on a foaming liquid
11
a
: the part of a boil, pimple, or abscess at which it is likely to break
b
: crisis sense 2
events came to a head
12
: a part of a machine, tool, or weapon that performs the main function
head of a lance
a machine with a grinding head
headship
ˈhed-ˌship
noun

head

2 of 3 adjective
1
: principal, chief
head cook
2
: placed at the head
sat at the head table at the banquet
3
: coming from in front
head sea

head

3 of 3 verb
1
: to form a head
this cabbage heads early
2
: to be or put oneself at the head of : lead
head a revolt
head the list of heroes
3
a
: to get in front of so as to hinder, stop, or turn back
head them off at the pass
b
: to take a lead over (as in a race)
4
: to go or point in a specified course
head for home
head the ship north

Medical Definition

head

noun
1
: the division of the human body that contains the brain, the eyes, the ears, the nose, and the mouth
also : the corresponding anterior division of the body of various animals including all vertebrates, most arthropods, and many mollusks and worms
2
3
: a projection or extremity especially of an anatomical part: as
a
: the rounded proximal end of a long bone (as the humerus)
b
: the end of a muscle nearest the origin
c
: the anterior end of an invertebrate : scolex
4
: the part of a boil, pimple, or abscess at which it is likely to break
5
: the end of a lipid molecule that consists of a polar group and is regarded as being opposite to the tail
head adjective

Legal Definition

head

noun
: any of a number of individuals

More from Merriam-Webster on head

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!