noun1. the upper or front part of the body in vertebrates, including humans, that contains and protects the brain, eyes, mouth, and nose and ears when present
▶ Related adjective:
cephalic 2. the corresponding part of an invertebrate animal
3. something resembling a head in form or function, such as the top of a tool
4. a. the person commanding most authority within a group, organization, etc
b. (as modifier)
head buyer
c. (in combination)
headmaster
5. the position of leadership or command
at the head of his class
6. a. the most forward part of a thing; a part that juts out; front
the head of a queue
b. (as modifier)
head point
7. the highest part of a thing; upper end
the head of the pass
8. the froth on the top of a glass of beer
9. aptitude, intelligence, and emotions (esp in the phrases above or over one's head, have a head for, keep one's head, lose one's head, etc)
she has a good head for figures
a wise old head
10. Word forms: plural head a person or animal considered as a unit
the show was two pounds per head
six hundred head of cattle
11. the head considered as a measure of length or height
he's a head taller than his mother
12. botanya. a dense inflorescence such as that of the daisy and other composite plants
b. any other compact terminal part of a plant, such as the leaves of a cabbage or lettuce
13. a culmination or crisis (esp in the phrase bring or come to a head)
14. the pus-filled tip or central part of a pimple, boil, etc
15. the head considered as the part of the body on which hair grows densely
a fine head of hair
16. the source or origin of a river or stream
17. (capital when part of name) a headland or promontory, esp a high one
18. the obverse of a coin, usually bearing a portrait of the head or a full figure of a monarch, deity, etc
Compare tail1 19. a main point or division of an argument, discourse, etc
20. (often plural) the headline at the top of a newspaper article or the heading of a section within an article
21. nauticala. the front part of a ship or boat
b. (in sailing ships) the upper corner or edge of a sail
c. the top of any spar or derrick
d. any vertical timber cut to shape
e. (often plural) a slang word for lavatory
22. grammar another word for governor (sense 7)
23. the taut membrane of a drum, tambourine, etc
24. a. the height of the surface of liquid above a specific point, esp when considered or used as a measure of the pressure at that point
a head of four feet
b. pressure of water, caused by height or velocity, measured in terms of a vertical column of water
c. any pressure
a head of steam in the boiler
25. slanga. a person who regularly takes drugs, esp LSD or cannabis
b. (in combination)
an acidhead
a pothead
26. mining a road driven into the coal face
27. a. the terminal point of a route
b. (in combination)
railhead
28. a device on a turning or boring machine, such as a lathe, that is equipped with one or more cutting tools held to the work by this device
29. cylinder head
30. an electromagnet that can read, write, or erase information on a magnetic medium such as a magnetic tape, disk, or drum, used in computers, tape recorders, etc
31. informal short for headmaster, headmistress, head teacher
32. a. the head of a horse considered as a narrow margin in the outcome of a race (in the phrase win by a head)
b. any narrow margin of victory (in the phrase (win) by a head)
33. informal short for headache
34. curling the stones lying in the house after all 16 have been played
35. bowling the jack and the bowls that have been played considered together as a target area
36. against the head
37. bite someone's head off
38. bring to a head
39. get it into one's head
40. give head
41. give someone his or her head
42. give a horse its head
43. go to one's head
44. head and shoulders above
45. head over heels
46. hold up one's head
47. keep one's head
48. keep one's head above water
49. make head
50. make head or tail of
51. off one's head
52. off the top of one's head
53. on one's head
54. one's head off
55. over someone's head
56. put their heads together
57. take it into one's head
58. turn heads
59. turn something on its head
60. turn someone's head
verb61. (transitive) to be at the front or top of
to head the field
62. (transitive; often foll by up) to be in the commanding or most important position
63. (often foll by for) to go or cause to go (towards)
where are you heading?
64. to turn or steer (a vessel) as specified
to head into the wind
65. soccer to propel (the ball) by striking it with the head
66. (transitive) to provide with or be a head or heading
to head a letter
the quotation which heads chapter 6
67. (transitive) to cut the top branches or shoots off (a tree or plant)
68. (intransitive) to form a head, as a boil or plant
69. (intransitive; often foll by in) (of streams, rivers, etc) to originate or rise in
70. head them