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[hed] /hɛd/

noun
1.
Edith, 1897–1981, U.S. costume designer.
/hɛd/
noun
1.
the upper or front part of the body in vertebrates, including man, 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.

5.
the position of leadership or command: at the head of his class
6.

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.
(pl) 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.
(botany)

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 pl) the headline at the top of a newspaper article or the heading of a section within an article
21.
(nautical)

22.
(grammar) another word for governor (sense 7)
23.
the taut membrane of a drum, tambourine, etc
24.

25.
(slang)

26.
(mining) a road driven into the coal face
27.

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.
See 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
32.

33.
(informal) short for headache
34.
(curling) the stones lying in the house after all 16 have been played
35.
(bowls) the jack and the bowls that have been played considered together as a target area
36.
(rugby) against the head, from the opposing side’s put-in to the scrum
37.
bite someone’s head off, snap someone’s head off, to speak sharply and angrily to someone
38.
(bring or come to a head)

39.
get it into one’s head, to come to believe (an idea, esp a whimsical one): he got it into his head that the earth was flat
40.
(slang) give head, to perform fellatio
41.
give someone his head, to allow a person greater freedom or responsibility
42.
give a horse its head, to allow a horse to gallop by lengthening the reins
43.
go to one’s head

44.
head and shoulders above, greatly superior to
45.
head over heels

46.
hold up one’s head, to be unashamed
47.
keep one’s head, to remain calm
48.
keep one’s head above water, to manage to survive a difficult experience
49.
make head, to make progress
50.
(used with a negative) make head or tail of, to attempt to understand (a problem, etc): he couldn’t make head or tail of the case
51.
(slang) off one’s head, out of one’s head, insane or delirious
52.
off the top of one’s head, without previous thought; impromptu
53.
on one’s head, on one’s own head, at one’s (own) risk or responsibility
54.
(slang) one’s head off, loudly or excessively: the baby cried its head off
55.
over someone’s head

56.
(informal) put their heads together, to consult together
57.
take it into one’s head, to conceive a notion, desire, or wish (to do something)
58.
turn heads, to be so beautiful, unusual, or impressive as to attract a lot of attention
59.
turn something on its head, stand something on its head, to treat or present something in a completely new and different way: health care which has turned orthodox medicine on its head
60.
turn someone’s head, to make someone vain, conceited, etc
verb
61.
(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.
(Austral) head them, to toss the coins in a game of two-up
/hɛd/
noun
1.
Edith. 1907–81, US dress designer: won many Oscars for her Hollywood film costume designs
n.

Old English heafod “top of the body,” also “upper end of a slope,” also “chief person, leader, ruler; capital city,” from Proto-Germanic *haubudam (cf. Old Saxon hobid, Old Norse hofuð, Old Frisian haved, Middle Dutch hovet, Dutch hoofd, Old High German houbit, German Haupt, Gothic haubiþ “head”), from PIE *kaput- “head” (cf. Sanskrit kaput-, Latin caput “head”).

Modern spelling is early 15c., representing what was then a long vowel (as in heat) and remained after pronunciation shifted. Of rounded tops of plants from late 14c. Meaning “origin of a river” is mid-14c. Meaning “obverse of a coin” is from 1680s; meaning “foam on a mug of beer” is first attested 1540s; meaning “toilet” is from 1748, based on location of crew toilet in the bow (or head) of a ship. Synechdochic use for “person” (as in head count) is first attested late 13c.; of cattle, etc., in this sense from 1510s. As a height measure of persons, from c.1300. Meaning “drug addict” (usually in a compound with the preferred drug as the first element) is from 1911.

To give head “perform fellatio” is from 1950s. Phrase heads will roll “people will be punished” (1930) translates Adolf Hitler. Head case “eccentric or insane person” is from 1979. Head game “mental manipulation” attested by 1972. To have (one’s) head up (one’s) ass is attested by 1978.
v.

“to be at the head or in the lead,” c.1200, from head (n.). Meaning “to direct the head (toward)” is from c.1600. Related: headed, heading. The earliest use of the word as a verb meant “behead” (Old English heafdian). Verbal phrase head up “supervise, direct” is attested by 1930.
adj.

“most important, principal, leading,” c.1200, from head (n.). Old English heafod was used in this sense in compounds.

head (hěd)
n.

noun

Related Terms

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