head

(hĕd)

a. The uppermost or forwardmost part of the body of a vertebrate, containing the brain and the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and jaws.

b. The analogous part of an invertebrate organism.

c. The length or height of such a part: The horse lost by a head. She is two heads taller than he is.

2. The seat of the faculty of reason; intelligence, intellect, or mind: I did the figuring in my head.

3. Mental ability or aptitude: She has a good head for mathematics.

4. Freedom of choice or action: Give the child his head and see how well he solves the problems.

5. Slang

a. A habitual drug user. Often used in combination: a dopehead.

b. An enthusiast. Often used in combination: a chilihead.

6. A person considered foolish or contemptible. Often used in combination: a chowderhead.

7. A portrait or representation of a person's head.

8. often heads(used with a sing. verb) The side of a coin having the principal design, often the profile of a political leader's head.

9. Informal A headache: had a bad head early this morning.

10.

a. An individual; a person: charged five dollars a head.

b. pl. head A single animal: 20 head of cattle.

11.

a. A person who leads, rules, or is in charge; a leader, chief, or director: the head of the corporation.

b. A headmaster or headmistress.

12. The foremost or leading position: marched at the head of the parade.

13. A headwaiter.

14.

a. The difference in depth of a liquid at two given points.

b. The measure of pressure at the lower point expressed in terms of this difference.

c. The pressure exerted by a liquid or gas: a head of steam.

d. The liquid or gas exerting the pressure.

15. The froth or foam that rises to the top in pouring an effervescent liquid, such as beer.

16. The tip of an abscess, boil, or pimple, in which pus forms.

17. A turning point; a crisis: bring matters to a head.

18.

a. A projection, weight, or fixture at the end of an elongated object: the head of a pin; a head of land overlooking the harbor.

b. The working end of a tool or implement: the head of a hammer.

c. The looped part at the end a lacrosse stick, to which the webbing is attached.

d. The part of an explosive device that carries the explosive; a warhead.

e. The part of a stringed instrument where the strings are wound; a tuning head.

f. A tuning machine.

19. Anatomy

a. The rounded proximal end of a long bone: the head of the femur.

b. The end of a muscle that is attached to the less movable part of the skeleton.

20.

a. An attachment to or part of a machine that holds or contains the operative device.

b. The magnetic head of a tape recorder or VCR.

c. The device in a magnetic disk or tape drive that enables it to read data from and write data to the disk or tape.

21. A rounded compact mass, as of leaves or buds: a head of cabbage.

22. Botany A flower head.

23. The uppermost part; the top: Place the appropriate name at the head of each column.

24. The end considered the most important: sat at the head of the table.

25. Either end of an object, such as a drum, whose two ends are interchangeable.

26. Nautical

a. The forward part of a vessel.

b. The top part or upper edge of a sail.

27. A toilet, especially on a ship.

28. A passage or gallery in a coal mine.

29. Printing

a. The top of a book or page.

b. A headline or heading.

c. A distinct topic or category: under the head of recent Spanish history.

30. Headway; progress.

31. Linguistics The word determining the grammatical category of a constituent, often establishing relations of concord or agreement (such as subject-verb agreement) with other constituents.

32. Vulgar Slang Oral sex.

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or intended for the head. Often used in combination: headshaking; headwrap.

2. Foremost in rank or importance: the head librarian.

3. Placed at the top or the front: the head name on the list.

4. Slang Of, relating to, or for drugs or drug users.

v. head·ed, head·ing, heads

v.tr.

1. To be in charge of; lead: The minister headed the committee.

2. To be in the first or foremost position of: Collins heads the list of job candidates.

3. To aim, point, or turn in a certain direction: headed the team of horses up the hill.

4. To remove the head or top of.

5. Sports To hit (a soccer ball) in the air with one's head.

6. To provide with a head: head each column with a number; headed the flagpole with a golden ball.

v.intr.

1. To proceed or go in a certain direction: head for town.

2. To form a head, as lettuce or cabbage.

3. To originate, as a stream or river; rise.

Phrasal Verb:

head off

To block the progress or completion of; intercept: Try to head him off before he gets home. The town headed off the attempt to build another mall.

Idioms:

have a big/swelled head

To be overly self-confident or conceited.

head and shoulders above

Far superior to: head and shoulders above her colleagues in analytical capability.

head over heels

1. Rolling, as in a somersault: tripped and fell head over heels.

2. Completely; hopelessly: head over heels in love.

keep (one's) head

To remain calm; remain in control of oneself.

lose (one's) head

To lose one's poise or self-control.

off/out of (one's) head

Crazy; deranged.

on (one's) head

As one's responsibility or fault: If this project fails, it's on your head.

over (one's) head

1. Beyond one's comprehension.

2. Beyond one's financial means.

put heads together

To consult and plan together: Let's put our heads together and solve this problem.

[Middle English, from Old English hēafod; see kaput- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

head

(hɛd)

npl head

1. (Anatomy) 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.

2. (Anatomy) the corresponding part of an invertebrate animal

3. something resembling a head in form or function, such as the top of a tool

4. (Sociology)

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.

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. (Brewing) 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. 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) botany

a. 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. (Pathology) 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. (Physical Geography) the source or origin of a river or stream

17. (Physical Geography) (capital when part of name) a headland or promontory, esp a high one

18. (Currencies) 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. (Journalism & Publishing) (often plural) the headline at the top of a newspaper article or the heading of a section within an article

21. (Nautical Terms) nautical

a. 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) grammar another word for governor⁷

23. (Instruments) the taut membrane of a drum, tambourine, etc

24. (General Physics)

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. (Pharmacology) slang

a. a person who regularly takes drugs, esp LSD or cannabis

b. (in combination): an acidhead; a pothead.

26. (Mining & Quarrying) mining a road driven into the coal face

27.

a. the terminal point of a route

b. (in combination): railhead.

28. (General Engineering) 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. (Automotive Engineering) See cylinder head

30. (Electronics) 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. (Education) informal short for headmaster, headmistress, head teacher

32. (Horse Racing)

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. (Pathology) informal short for headache

34. (Curling) curling the stones lying in the house after all 16 have been played

35. (Bowls & Bowling) bowls the jack and the bowls that have been played considered together as a target area

36. (Rugby) against the head rugby 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 to a head come to a head

a. to bring or be brought to a crisis: matters came to a head.

b. (of a boil) to cause to be or be about to burst

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. give head slang to perform fellatio

41. give someone his head to allow a person greater freedom or responsibility

42. (Horse Racing) give a horse its head to allow a horse to gallop by lengthening the reins

43. go to one's head

a. to make one dizzy or confused, as might an alcoholic drink

b. to make one conceited: his success has gone to his head.

44. head and shoulders above greatly superior to

45. head over heels

a. turning a complete somersault

b. completely; utterly (esp in the phrase head over heels in love)

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. make head or tail of (used with a negative) to attempt to understand (a problem, etc): he couldn't make head or tail of the case.

51. off one's head out of one's head slang 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. one's head off slang loudly or excessively: the baby cried its head off.

55. over someone's head

a. without a person in the obvious position being considered, esp for promotion: the graduate was promoted over the heads of several of his seniors.

b. without consulting a person in the obvious position but referring to a higher authority: in making his complaint he went straight to the director, over the head of his immediate boss.

c. beyond a person's comprehension

56. put their heads together informal 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

61. (tr) to be at the front or top of: to head the field.

62. (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. (Nautical Terms) to turn or steer (a vessel) as specified: to head into the wind.

65. (Soccer) soccer to propel (the ball) by striking it with the head

66. (tr) to provide with or be a head or heading: to head a letter; the quotation which heads chapter 6.

67. (Botany) (tr) to cut the top branches or shoots off (a tree or plant)

68. (intr) to form a head, as a boil or plant

69. (Physical Geography) (often foll by: in) (of streams, rivers, etc) to originate or rise in

70. (Games, other than specified) head them Austral to toss the coins in a game of two-up

[Old English hēafod; related to Old Norse haufuth, Old Frisian hāved, Old Saxon hōbid, Old High German houbit]

ˈheadˌlike adj

Head

(hɛd)

(Biography) Edith. 1907–81, US dress designer: won many Oscars for her Hollywood film costume designs

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

head

(hɛd)

n.

1. the anterior or upper part of the vertebrate body, containing the skull with mouth, eyes, ears, nose, and brain.

2. the corresponding part of the body in invertebrates.

3. the head considered as the center of the intellect; mind; brain: a good head for mathematics.

4. the position or place of leadership, greatest authority, or honor.

5. a person to whom others are subordinate, as the director of an institution; leader or chief.

6. a person considered with reference to his or her mind, attributes, status, etc.: wise heads; crowned heads.

7. the part of anything that forms or is regarded as forming the top or upper end: head of a pin; head of a page.

8. the foremost part or front end of something or a forward projecting part: head of a procession.

9. the part of a weapon, tool, etc., used for striking: the head of a hammer.

10. a person or animal considered as one of a number, herd, or group: a dinner at $20 a head; ten head of cattle.

11. the approximate length of a horse's head, as indicating a margin of victory in a race.

12. a culminating point, usu. of a critical nature; crisis or climax: to bring matters to a head.

13. froth or foam at the top of a liquid: the head on beer.

14.

a. any dense flower cluster or inflorescence.

b. any other compact part of a plant, usu. at the top of the stem, as that composed of leaves in the cabbage.

15. the maturated part of an abscess, boil, etc.

16. a projecting point of a coast, esp. when high, as a cape, headland, or promontory.

17. Also, heads. the obverse of a coin, as bearing a head or other principal figure(opposed to tail).

18. one of the chief parts or points of a written or oral discourse.

19. something resembling a head in form or a representation of a head, as a piece of sculpture.

20. the source of a river or stream.

21. Slang.

a. a habitual user of an illicit drug (often used in combination): an acid-head; a pothead.

b. a fan or devotee (usu. used in combination): a punk-rock head; a chili head.

22. heads, alcohol produced during the initial fermentation.

23. headline.

24. a toilet or lavatory, esp. on a boat or ship.

25.

a. the forepart of a vessel; bow.

b. the upper edge of a quadrilateral sail.

c. the upper corner of a jib-headed sail.

26. Gram.

a. the member of an endocentric construction that can play the same grammatical role as the construction itself.

b. the member of a construction upon which another member depends and to which it is subordinate.

27. the stretched membrane covering the end of a drum or similar musical instrument.

28. a level or road driven into solid coal for proving or working a mine.

29. any of various devices on machine tools for holding, moving, indexing, or changing tools or work, as the headstock or turret of a lathe.

30. (loosely) the pressure exerted by confined fluid: a head of steam.

31.

a. the vertical distance between two points in a liquid, as water, or some other fluid.

b. the pressure differential resulting from this separation, expressed in terms of the vertical distance between the points.

32. any of the parts of a tape recorder that record, play back, or erase magnetic signals on audiotape or videotape.

adj.

33. first in rank or position; chief; leading; principal: a head official.

34. of or for the head (often used in combination): head covering; headgear.

35. situated at the top, front, or head of anything (often used in combination): headline; headboard.

36. moving or coming from a direction in front, as of a vessel: head tide.

37. Slang. of or pertaining to drugs, drug paraphernalia, or drug users.

v.t.

38. to go at the head of or in front of; lead: to head a list.

39. to outdo or excel: to head one's competitors in a field.

40. to be the head or chief of (sometimes fol. by up): to head a school.

41. to direct the course of; turn the head or front of in a specified direction: I'll head the boat for the shore.

42. to go around the head of (a stream).

43. to furnish or fit with a head.

44. to take the head off; decapitate; behead.

45. to get in front of in order to stop, turn aside, attack, etc.

46. headline (def. 4).

47. to propel (a soccer ball) by striking it with the head, esp. with the forehead.

v.i.

48. to move forward toward a point specified; go in a certain direction: to head toward town.

49. to form a head: Cabbage heads quickly.

50. (of a river or stream) to have the head or source where specified.

51. head off, to hinder the progress of; intercept.

Idioms:

1. come to a head,

a. to suppurate, as a boil.

b. to reach a crisis; culminate.

2. get one's head together, to get oneself under control; become sensible.

3. give someone his or her head, to allow someone freedom of choice.

4. go to one's head,

a. to overcome one with exhilaration, dizzyness, or intoxication.

b. to fill one with conceit.

5. hang or hide one's head, to manifest shame.

6. head and shoulders, by an impressively great amount: head and shoulders above the rest in talent.

7. head over heels,

a. headlong, as in a somersault.

b. intensely; completely: head over heels in love.

c. impulsively; carelessly: They plunged head over heels into the fighting.

8. head to head, in direct opposition or competition.

9. keep one's head, to remain calm and effective.

10. lay or put heads together, to meet in order to discuss, consult, or scheme.

11. lose one's head, to become uncontrolled or wildly excited.

12. make head(s) or tail(s) of, to understand or interpret to even a small extent (often used in the negative).

13. make heads roll, to dismiss numbers of employees or subordinates.

14. on one's head, as one's responsibility or fault.

15. out of one's head or mind,

a. insane; crazy.

b. delirious; irrational.

16. over one's head, beyond one's comprehension, ability, or resources.

17. turn someone's head,

a. to make someone smug or conceited.

b. to confuse someone.

[before 900; Middle English he(v)ed, Old English hēafod, c. Old Saxon hōbid, Old High German houbit, Old Norse haufuth; akin to Old Norse hǫfoth, Latin caput]

-head

a noun suffix of state or condition (godhead; maidenhead), occurring in words now mostly archaic or obsolete, many being superseded by forms in -hood.

[Middle English -hede, Old English *-hǣdu, akin to -hād -hood]

Head

(hɛd)
n.

Bessie, 1937–86, South African novelist.

Head

A collection of animals; an indefinite number; a bundle of flax or silk.

Examples: head of blackmen, 1856; of cattle, 1667; of flax; of lambs, 1533; of pheasants, 1862; of rabbits, 1894; of sheep, 1533; of silk; of wolves, 1601.

Head(s)

head

Past participle: headed
Gerund: heading

Imperative
head
head

Present
I head
you head
he/she/it heads
we head
you head
they head

Preterite
I headed
you headed
he/she/it headed
we headed
you headed
they headed

Present Continuous
I am heading
you are heading
he/she/it is heading
we are heading
you are heading
they are heading

Present Perfect
I have headed
you have headed
he/she/it has headed
we have headed
you have headed
they have headed

Past Continuous
I was heading
you were heading
he/she/it was heading
we were heading
you were heading
they were heading

Past Perfect
I had headed
you had headed
he/she/it had headed
we had headed
you had headed
they had headed

Future
I will head
you will head
he/she/it will head
we will head
you will head
they will head

Future Perfect
I will have headed
you will have headed
he/she/it will have headed
we will have headed
you will have headed
they will have headed

Future Continuous
I will be heading
you will be heading
he/she/it will be heading
we will be heading
you will be heading
they will be heading

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been heading
you have been heading
he/she/it has been heading
we have been heading
you have been heading
they have been heading

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been heading
you will have been heading
he/she/it will have been heading
we will have been heading
you will have been heading
they will have been heading

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been heading
you had been heading
he/she/it had been heading
we had been heading
you had been heading
they had been heading

Conditional
I would head
you would head
he/she/it would head
we would head
you would head
they would head

Past Conditional
I would have headed
you would have headed
he/she/it would have headed
we would have headed
you would have headed
they would have headed

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	head - the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains; "he stuck his head out the window" caput animal, animate being, beast, creature, fauna, brute - a living organism characterized by voluntary movement muzzle - forward projecting part of the head of certain animals; includes the jaws and nose body, organic structure, physical structure - the entire structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being); "he felt as if his whole body were on fire" external body part - any body part visible externally ear - the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium arteria basilaris, basilar artery - an unpaired artery; supplies the pons and cerebellum and the back part of the cerebrum and the inner ear brain, encephalon - that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord human head - the head of a human being skull - the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates face, human face - the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear; "he washed his face"; "I wish I had seen the look on his face when he got the news" temple - the flat area on either side of the forehead; "the veins in his temple throbbed"
	2.	head - a single domestic animal; "200 head of cattle" domestic animal, domesticated animal - any of various animals that have been tamed and made fit for a human environment
	3.	head - that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings; the seat of the faculty of reason; "his mind wandered"; "I couldn't get his words out of my head" mind, psyche, nous, brain cognition, knowledge, noesis - the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning noddle - an informal British expression for head or mind; "use your noddle" tabula rasa - a young mind not yet affected by experience (according to John Locke) ego - (psychoanalysis) the conscious mind unconscious, unconscious mind - that part of the mind wherein psychic activity takes place of which the person is unaware subconscious, subconscious mind - psychic activity just below the level of awareness
	4.	head - a person who is in charge; "the head of the whole operation" chief, top dog leader - a person who rules or guides or inspires others administrator, executive - someone who manages a government agency or department administrator, decision maker - someone who administers a business capo - the head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate department head - the head of a department don, father - the head of an organized crime family superior general, general - the head of a religious order or congregation general manager - the highest ranking manager grand dragon - a high ranking person in the Ku Klux Klan head of household - the head of a household or family or tribe secretary - a person who is head of an administrative department of government
	5.	head - the front of a military formation or procession; "the head of the column advanced boldly"; "they were at the head of the attack" armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" formation - an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit; "a defensive formation"; "a formation of planes" rear - the back of a military formation or procession; "infantrymen were in the rear"
	6.	head - the pressure exerted by a fluid; "a head of steam" force per unit area, pressure, pressure level - the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit); "the compressed gas exerts an increased pressure"
	7.	head - the top of something; "the head of the stairs"; "the head of the page"; "the head of the list" top - the upper part of anything; "the mower cuts off the tops of the grass"; "the title should be written at the top of the first page" foot - the lower part of anything; "curled up on the foot of the bed"; "the foot of the page"; "the foot of the list"; "the foot of the mountain"
	8.	head - the source of water from which a stream arises; "they tracked him back toward the head of the stream" headspring, fountainhead origin, source, root, rootage, beginning - the place where something begins, where it springs into being; "the Italian beginning of the Renaissance"; "Jupiter was the origin of the radiation"; "Pittsburgh is the source of the Ohio River"; "communism's Russian root"
	9.	head - (grammar) the word in a grammatical constituent that plays the same grammatical role as the whole constituent head word grammar - the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics) word - a unit of language that native speakers can identify; "words are the blocks from which sentences are made"; "he hardly said ten words all morning"
	10.	head - the tip of an abscess (where the pus accumulates) tip, peak, point - a V shape; "the cannibal's teeth were filed to sharp points" abscess - symptom consisting of a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue
	11.	head - the length or height based on the size of a human or animal head; "he is two heads taller than his little sister"; "his horse won by a head" linear measure, linear unit - a unit of measurement of length
	12.	head - a dense cluster of flowers or foliage; "a head of cauliflower"; "a head of lettuce" capitulum plant organ - a functional and structural unit of a plant or fungus
	13.	head - the educator who has executive authority for a school; "she sent unruly pupils to see the principal" head teacher, school principal, principal chancellor - the honorary or titular head of a university educator, pedagog, pedagogue - someone who educates young people headmaster, schoolmaster, master - presiding officer of a school headmistress - a woman headmaster
	14.	head - an individual person; "tickets are $5 per head" individual - a single organism
	15.	head - a user of (usually soft) drugs; "the office was full of secret heads" colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech acid head - someone who takes LSD drug user, substance abuser, user - a person who takes drugs hash head - a user of hashish pill head - a consumer of amphetamine pills pothead - someone who smokes marijuana habitually
	16.	head - a natural elevation (especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea) foreland, headland, promontory mull - a term used in Scottish names of promontories; "the Mull of Kintyre" natural elevation, elevation - a raised or elevated geological formation point - a promontory extending out into a large body of water; "they sailed south around the point"
	17.	head - a rounded compact mass; "the head of a comet" object, physical object - a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow; "it was full of rackets, balls and other objects"
	18.	head - the foam or froth that accumulates at the top when you pour an effervescent liquid into a container; "the beer had a large head of foam" foam, froth - a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid; "the beer had a thick head of foam"
	19.	head - the part in the front or nearest the viewer; "he was in the forefront"; "he was at the head of the column" forefront forepart, front, front end - the side that is forward or prominent
	20.	head - a difficult juncture; "a pretty pass"; "matters came to a head yesterday" straits, pass juncture, occasion - an event that occurs at a critical time; "at such junctures he always had an impulse to leave"; "it was needed only on special occasions"
	21.	head - forward movement; "the ship made little headway against the gale" headway advance, progression, progress - a movement forward; "he listened for the progress of the troops"
	22.	head - a V-shaped mark at one end of an arrow pointer; "the point of the arrow was due north" point mark - a written or printed symbol (as for punctuation); "his answer was just a punctuation mark" arrow, pointer - a mark to indicate a direction or relation
	23.	head - the subject matter at issue; "the question of disease merits serious discussion"; "under the head of minor Roman poets" question subject, theme, topic - the subject matter of a conversation or discussion; "he didn't want to discuss that subject"; "it was a very sensitive topic"; "his letters were always on the theme of love" problem - a question raised for consideration or solution; "our homework consisted of ten problems to solve" matter of fact, question of fact - a disputed factual contention that is generally left for a jury to decide matter of law, question of law - a disputed legal contention that is generally left for a judge to decide
	24.	head - a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about; "the heading seemed to have little to do with the text" header, heading crosshead, crossheading - a heading of a subsection printed within the body of the text headline, newspaper headline - the heading or caption of a newspaper article lemma - the heading that indicates the subject of an annotation or a literary composition or a dictionary entry rubric - a title or heading that is printed in red or in a special type running head, running headline - a heading printed at the top of every page (or every other page) of a book subhead, subheading - a heading of a subdivision of a text statute title, title, rubric - a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with; "Title 8 provided federal help for schools" line - text consisting of a row of words written across a page or computer screen; "the letter consisted of three short lines"; "there are six lines in every stanza"
	25.	head - the rounded end of a bone that fits into a rounded cavity in another bone to form a joint; "the head of the humerus" anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure - a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing; "he has good bone structure"
	26.	head - that part of a skeletal muscle that is away from the bone that it moves anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure - a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing; "he has good bone structure" skeletal muscle, striated muscle - a muscle that is connected at either or both ends to a bone and so move parts of the skeleton; a muscle that is characterized by transverse stripes
	27.	head - (computer science) a tiny electromagnetic coil and metal pole used to write and read magnetic patterns on a disk read/write head coil - reactor consisting of a spiral of insulated wire that introduces inductance into a circuit computer science, computing - the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures
	28.	head - (usually plural) the obverse side of a coin that usually bears the representation of a person's head; "call heads or tails!" obverse - the side of a coin or medal bearing the principal stamp or design plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one coin - a flat metal piece (usually a disc) used as money tail - (usually plural) the reverse side of a coin that does not bear the representation of a person's head
	29.	head - the striking part of a tool; "the head of the hammer" face - the striking or working surface of an implement club head, clubhead, club-head, golf-club head - (golf) the head of the club which strikes the ball hammer - a hand tool with a heavy rigid head and a handle; used to deliver an impulsive force by striking hammerhead - the striking part of a hammer ram - a tool for driving or forcing something by impact striker - the part of a mechanical device that strikes something
	30.	head - (nautical) a toilet on board a boat or ship john, lav, lavatory, privy, toilet, bathroom, can - a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
	31.	head - a projection out from one end; "the head of the nail", "a pinhead is the head of a pin" bolt - a screw that screws into a nut to form a fastener nail - a thin pointed piece of metal that is hammered into materials as a fastener pin - a small slender (often pointed) piece of wood or metal used to support or fasten or attach things pinhead - the head of a pin projection - any structure that branches out from a central support screw - a fastener with a tapered threaded shank and a slotted head
	32.	head - a membrane that is stretched taut over a drum drumhead drum, membranophone, tympan - a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end membrane - a thin pliable sheet of material
	33.	head - oral stimulation of the genitals; "they say he gives good head" oral sex sexual perversion, perversion - an aberrant sexual practice; fellation - oral stimulation of the penis sixty-nine, soixante-neuf - oral sex practiced simultaneously by two people
Verb	1.	head - to go or travel towards; "where is she heading"; "We were headed for the mountains" go forward, proceed, continue - move ahead; travel onward in time or space; "We proceeded towards Washington"; "She continued in the direction of the hills"; "We are moving ahead in time now" take, make - head into a specified direction; "The escaped convict took to the hills"; "We made for the mountains"
	2.	head - be in charge of; "Who is heading this project?" lead direct - be in charge of chair, chairman - act or preside as chair, as of an academic department in a university; "She chaired the department for many years" captain - be the captain of a sports team spearhead - be the leader of; "She spearheaded the effort to find a cure for the disease" take charge, take control, take hold - assume control
	3.	head - travel in front of; go in advance of others; "The procession was headed by John" lead precede, lead - move ahead (of others) in time or space draw away - move ahead of (one's competitors) in a race head up, head - be the first or leading member of (a group) and excel; "This student heads the class"
	4.	head - be the first or leading member of (a group) and excel; "This student heads the class" head up head, lead - travel in front of; go in advance of others; "The procession was headed by John" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer"
	5.	head - direct the course; determine the direction of travelling guide, maneuver, channelise, channelize, steer, manoeuver, manoeuvre, point, direct dock - maneuver into a dock; "dock the ships" sheer - cause to sheer; "She sheered her car around the obstacle" pull over - steer a vehicle to the side of the road; "The car pulled over when the ambulance approached at high speed" helm - be at or take the helm of; "helm the ship" crab - direct (an aircraft) into a crosswind navigate - direct carefully and safely; "He navigated his way to the altar" stand out - steer away from shore, of ships starboard - turn to the right, of helms or rudders conn - conduct or direct the steering of a ship or plane navigate, pilot - act as the navigator in a car, plane, or vessel and plan, direct, plot the path and position of the conveyance; "Is anyone volunteering to navigate during the trip?"; "Who was navigating the ship during the accident?" canalise, canalize, channel - direct the flow of; "channel information towards a broad audience" tree, corner - force a person or an animal into a position from which he cannot escape park - maneuver a vehicle into a parking space; "Park the car in front of the library"; "Can you park right here?" control, command - exercise authoritative control or power over; "control the budget"; "Command the military forces"
	6.	head - take its rise; "These rivers head from a mountain range in the Himalayas" arise, originate, spring up, uprise, develop, grow, rise - come into existence; take on form or shape; "A new religious movement originated in that country"; "a love that sprang up from friendship"; "the idea for the book grew out of a short story"; "An interesting phenomenon uprose"
	7.	head - be in the front of or on top of; "The list was headed by the name of the president" lie - be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position surmount - be on top of; "The scarf surmounted the gown" crown - form the topmost part of; "A weather vane crowns the building"
	8.	head - form a head or come or grow to a head; "The wheat headed early this year" form - assume a form or shape; "the water formed little beads"
	9.	head - remove the head of; "head the fish" remove, take away, withdraw, take - remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract; "remove a threat"; "remove a wrapper"; "Remove the dirty dishes from the table"; "take the gun from your pocket"; "This machine withdraws heat from the environment"

head

noun

1. skull, crown, pate, bean (U.S. & Canad. slang), nut (slang), loaf (slang), cranium, conk (slang), noggin, noddle (informal, chiefly Brit.) She turned her head away from him.

2. mind, reasoning, understanding, thought, sense, brain, brains (informal), intelligence, wisdom, wits, common sense, loaf (Brit. informal), intellect, rationality, grey matter, brainpower, mental capacity He was more inclined to use his head.

3. ability, mind, talent, capacity, faculty, flair, mentality, aptitude I don't have a head for business.

4. front, beginning, top, first place, fore, forefront the head of the queue

5. forefront, cutting edge, vanguard, van his familiar position at the head of his field

6. top, crown, summit, height, peak, crest, pinnacle, apex, vertex the head of the stairs

7. (Informal) head teacher, principal, headmaster or headmistress full of admiration for the head and teachers

8. leader, president, director, manager, chief, boss (informal), captain, master, premier, commander, principal, supervisor, superintendent, chieftain heads of government from more than 100 countries

9. climax, crisis, turning point, culmination, end, conclusion These problems came to a head in September.

10. source, start, beginning, rise, origin, commencement, well head the head of the river

11. (Geography) headland, point, cape, promontory, foreland a ship off the beach head

adjective

1. chief, main, leading, first, highest, front, prime, premier, supreme, principal, arch, foremost, pre-eminent, topmost I had the head man out from the gas company.

verb

1. lead, precede, be the leader of, be or go first, be or go at the front of, lead the way The parson, heading the procession, had just turned right.

2. top, lead, crown, cap Running a business heads the list of ambitions among interviewees.

3. be in charge of, run, manage, lead, control, rule, direct, guide, command, govern, supervise He heads the department's Office of Civil Rights.

do your head in (Informal) depress, dishearten, frustrate, discourage Living with my parents is doing my head in.

from head to foot from top to toe, completely, all over, entirely, thoroughly scrubbed from head to foot

get something into your head realise, understand, get the message, take it in, twig (informal) Managers have at last got it into their heads.

go over your head be baffling, be perplexing, be incomprehensible, be impenetrable, be beyond comprehension, be all Greek to you (informal), be above your head, be beyond your grasp A lot of the ideas went way over my head.

go to your head

1. intoxicate, befuddle, inebriate, addle, stupefy, fuddle, put (someone) under the table (informal) That wine was strong, it went to your head.

2. make someone conceited, puff someone up, make someone full of themselves not a man to let a little success go to his head

head for something or someone make for, aim for, set off for, go to, turn to, set out for, make a beeline for, start towards, steer for He headed for the bus stop.

head over heels completely, thoroughly, utterly, intensely, wholeheartedly, uncontrollably head over heels in love

head someone off intercept, divert, deflect, cut someone off, interpose, block someone off He turned into the hallway and headed her off.

head something off prevent, stop, avert, parry, fend off, ward off, forestall good at spotting trouble on the way and heading it off

head something up lead, run, head, control, manage, direct, guide, govern, supervise, be in charge of Judge Frederick Lacey headed up the investigation.

keep your head stay calm, stay cool, remain unruffled, keep your shirt on (informal), maintain your equilibrium She was able to keep her head and not panic.

lose your head panic, go to pieces, get hysterical, get flustered, lose your self-control, lose control of yourself, lose your composure She lost her head and started screaming at me.

off your head (Informal) mad, insane, demented, nuts (slang), barmy (slang), deranged, out of your mind, gaga (informal) He's gone completely off his head.

put your heads together (Informal) consult, confer, discuss, deliberate, talk (something) over, powwow, confab (informal), confabulate Everyone put their heads together and reached an arrangement.

Related words
technical name caput
adjective capital, cephalic

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

head

noun

1. The uppermost part of the body:

noddle, pate, poll.

Slang: bean, block, conk, dome, noggin, noodle, nut.

2. The seat of the faculty of intelligence and reason:

brain, mind.

Informal: gray matter.

3. An innate capability:

aptitude, aptness, bent, faculty, flair, genius, gift, instinct, knack, talent, turn.

4. One who is highest in rank or authority:

boss, chief, chieftain, director, headman, hierarch, leader, master.

Slang: honcho.

Idiom: cock of the walk.

5. Someone who directs and supervises workers:

boss, director, foreman, foreperson, forewoman, manager, overseer, superintendent, supervisor, taskmaster, taskmistress.

Informal: straw boss.

Slang: chief.

6. A mass of bubbles in or on the surface of a liquid:

foam, froth, lather, spume, suds, yeast.

7. A decisive point:

climacteric, crisis, crossroad (used in plural), exigence, exigency, juncture, pass, turning point, zero hour.

8. A term or terms in large type introducing a text:

heading, headline.

adjective

Having or exercising authority:

chief, principal.

verb

1. To have charge of (the affairs of others):

administer, administrate, direct, govern, manage, run, superintend, supervise.

2. To move (a weapon or blow, for example) in the direction of someone or something:

aim, cast, direct, level, point, set, train, turn, zero in.

Military: lay.

3. To proceed in a specified direction:

bear, go, make, set out, strike out.

phrasal verb
head off

To block the progress of and force to change direction:

cut off, intercept.

Translations

إرْتِفاع أو طول الرأسالرَّئيس أو أهم شَخْصرأسرَأْسرأْس

глава

hlavavedoucíbýt v čelečeločepice

hovedledelederoverhovedrektor

Kopf Haupt köpfen Leiter leiten

κεφάλι επικεφαλής κεφαλή ηγούμαι κατευθύνομαι

cabeza jefe punta director encabezar

pea

johtaapäärehtorisuunnatavasta-

tête chef directeur diriger en-tête

glavapoglavarvoditi

élén állfejfejelfejhosszalfejrész

hulukepalapimpintuju

á haus/mannárupptökfremsti hluti; fylkingarbrjóstfroîahaus

testa capo colpire di testa capeggiare dirigersi

頭･･･の先頭に立つ長

...으로 나아가다머리우두머리

caput

antkapinis akmuoantraštėapsukti galvąausinėsbūti pradžioje

galvagalvenais-galvgalisgalviņaizteka

aan het hoofd staan van aanvoeren hoofd krop leiden

hode sjef skum stå fremst stå i spissen for

głowa kierować kierować się kierowniczka kierownik

cabeça liderar rumar chefe comandar

capşef

возглавлять голова глава направиться направляться

čiapočkahlavahlavičkovaťstáť na čelevedúca

glavavodjaglavenglavicapoglavar

glavaглава

huvudhuvud-ledanickarektor

ครูใหญ่นำศีรษะ

baş başı çekmekbaşında olmakbaşlık atmakbaşta olmak

голова

cái đầudẫn đầungười đứng đầu

首脑头头状物体头脑岬

head

[hed]

A. N

1. (= part of body) → cabeza f
my head aches → me duele la cabeza
the horse won by a (short) head → el caballo ganó por una cabeza (escasa)
he went head first into the ditch/wall → se cayó de cabeza en la zanja/se dio de cabeza contra la pared
the government is ploughing head first into another crisis → el gobierno avanza irremediablemente hacia otra crisis
from head to foot → de pies a cabeza
to give a horse its head → soltar las riendas a un caballo
to give sb his/her head → dar rienda suelta a algn
wine goes to my head → el vino se me sube a la cabeza
success has gone to his head → el éxito se le ha subido a la cabeza
head of hair → cabellera f
to go head over heels → caer de cabeza
to fall head over heels in love with sb → enamorarse perdidamente de algn
to keep one's head down (lit) → no levantar la cabeza; (= work hard) → trabajar de lo lindo; (= avoid being noticed) → intentar pasar desapercibido
to nod one's head → decir que sí or asentir con la cabeza
to shake one's head → decir que no or negar con la cabeza
he stands head and shoulders above the rest (lit) → les saca más de una cabeza a los demás (fig) → los demás no le llegan a la suela del zapato
to stand on one's head → hacer el pino
I could do it standing on my head > → lo podría hacer con los ojos cerrados
she is a head taller than her sister → le saca una cabeza a su hermana
from head to toe → de pies a cabeza
I ought to bang or knock your heads together → os voy a dar un coscorrón a los dos
he turned his head and looked back at her → volvió la cabeza y la miró
I can't get my head around that → no consigo entenderlo, para mí eso es un misterio
to have one's head up one's arse or > ass (US) (= be pig-headed) → ser cabezón; (= be self-obsessed) → mirarse al ombligón
to bite sb's head off → echar un rapapolvo a algn
to put or lay one's head on the block → jugársela, arriesgarse
to get one's head down (to work) → poner manos a la obra; (to sleep) → acostarse, echarse
to go over sb's head they went over my head to the manager → pasaron por encima de mí y fueron directamente al gerente
to hold one's head up (high) → ir con la frente bien alta or erguida
with head held high → con la frente bien alta or erguida
to laugh one's head off → desternillarse de risa
to stand or turn sth on its head → dar la vuelta a algo
on your own head be it! → ¡allá tú!, tú sabrás lo que haces
to want sb's head on a plate → querer la cabeza de algn
to turn one's head the other way → hacer la vista gorda
heads will roll → van a rodar cabezas
to bury or hide or stick one's head in the sand → seguir la táctica del avestruz
to scream/shout one's head off → desgañitarse
I can't make head nor or or tail of it → no le encuentro ni pies ni cabeza
I can't make head nor or or tail of what he's saying → no entiendo nada de lo que dice
to turn heads → llamar la atención
she had the kind of looks that turn heads → tenía ese tipo de belleza que llama la atención
to keep one's head above water (fig) → ir tirando
see also acid C
see also cloud A
see also hang A1
see also knock, price A1
see also rear A2
see also swell C1
see also top A11

2. (= intellect, mind) → cabeza f
use your head! → ¡usa la cabeza!
you never know what's going on in his head → nunca sabes lo que le está pasando por la cabeza
it's gone right out of my head → se me ha ido de la cabeza, se me ha olvidado
it was the first thing that came into my head → fue lo primero que me vino a la cabeza
it was above their heads → no lo entendían
it's better to come to it with a clear head in the morning → es mejor hacerlo por la mañana con la cabeza despejada
it never entered my head → ni se me pasó por la cabeza siquiera
you need your head examining or examined → tú estás mal de la cabeza
to have a head for business/figures → ser bueno para los negocios/con los números
I have no head for heights → tengo vértigo
to do a sum in one's head → hacer un cálculo mental
he added it all up in his head → lo sumó todo mentalmente
he has got it into his head that → se le ha metido en la cabeza que ...
I wish he would get it into his thick head that → ya me gustaría que le entrara en ese cabezón que tiene que ...
who put that (idea) into your head? → ¿quién te ha metido eso en la cabeza?
don't put ideas into his head → no le metas ideas en la cabeza
I can't get that tune out of my head → no puedo quitarme esa música de la cabeza
it was over their heads → no lo entendían
it went way over my head → no entendí nada
I'm sure if we put our heads together we can work something out → estoy seguro de que si intercambiamos ideas encontraremos una solución
to take it into one's head to do sth he took it into his head to go to Australia → se le metió en la cabeza ir a Australia
don't worry your head about it → no te preocupes, no le des muchas vueltas
to keep one's head → mantener la calma
to lose one's head → perder la cabeza or los estribos
to be/go off one's head → estar/volverse majara
you must be off your head! → ¡estás como una cabra!
to be out of one's head (= mad) → haber perdido el juicio, estar mal de la cabeza; (= drunk) → estar borracho como una cuba; (= on drugs) → estar colocadísimo, estar como una moto
he's got his head screwed on (the right way) → tiene la cabeza sobre los hombros
to be soft or weak in the head → estar mal de la cabeza
to go soft in the head → perder la cabeza
all that flattery will turn his head → todos esos halagos se le subirán a la cabeza
two heads are better than one → cuatro ojos ven más que dos

3. (= leader) [of firm] → director(a) m/f (esp Brit) [of school] → director(a) m/f
head of department (in school, firm) → jefe/a m/f de departamento
head of French → el jefe/la jefa del departamento de francés
head of (the) household → cabeza mf de familia
head of state (Pol) → jefe/a m/f de Estado

4. (= top part) [of hammer, pin, spot] → cabeza f; [of arrow, spear] → punta f; [of stick, cane] → puño m; [of bed, page] → cabecera f; [of stairs] → parte f alta; (on beer) → espuma f; [of river] → cabecera f, nacimiento m; [of valley] → final m; [of mountain pass] → cima f
at the head of [+ organization] → a la cabeza de; [+ train] → en la parte delantera de
to be at the head of the class → ser el mejor de la clase
to be at the head of the league → ir a la cabeza de la liga
to be at the head of the list → encabezar la lista
to be at the head of the queue → ser el primero en la cola
to sit at the head of the table → sentarse en la cabecera de la mesa, presidir la mesa

5. (Bot) [of flower] → cabeza f, flor f; [of corn] → mazorca f
a head of celery/garlic → una cabeza de apio/ajo
a head of lettuce → una lechuga

6. (Tech) (on tape-recorder) → cabezal m, cabeza f magnética; [of cylinder] → culata f (Comput) → cabeza f
reading/writing head → cabeza f de lectura/grabación

7. (= culmination)
this will bring matters to a head → esto llevará las cosas a un punto crítico
to come to a head [situation] → alcanzar un punto crítico

8. heads (on coin) → cara f
it came down heads → salió cara
heads or tails? → ¿cara o cruz?, ¿águila o sol? (Mex)
to toss heads or tails → echar a cara o cruz
heads I win, tails you lose → cara yo gano, cruz tú pierdes

9. (no pl) (= unit) 20 head of cattle → 20 cabezas de ganado (vacuno)
£15 a or per head → 15 libras por cabeza or persona

10. (Naut) → proa f
head to wind → con la proa a barlovento or de cara al viento

11. (Geog) → cabo m

12. (= pressure) head of steam → presión f de vapor
head of water → presión f de agua

13. (= height) [of water] there has to be a head of six feet between the tank and the bath → el tanque tiene que estar a una altura de dos metros con respecto al baño

14. (= title) → titular m; (= subject heading) → encabezamiento m
this comes under the head of → esto viene en el apartado de ...

B. VT

1. (= be at front of) [+ procession, league, poll] → encabezar, ir a la cabeza de; [+ list] → encabezar

2. (= be in charge of) [+ organization] → dirigir (Sport) [+ team] → capitanear

3. (= steer) [+ ship, car, plane] → dirigir

4. (Ftbl) [+ goal] → cabecear
to head the ball → cabecear (el balón)

5. [+ chapter] → encabezar

C. VI where are you heading or headed? → ¿hacia dónde vas?, ¿para dónde vas?
he hitched a ride on a truck heading or headed west → hizo autostop y lo recogió un camión que iba hacia el oeste
he headed up the hill → se dirigió hacia la cima de la colina
they were heading home/back to town → volvían a casa/a la ciudad

D. CPD head boy N (Brit) (Scol) → delegado m de la escuela (alumno)
head buyer N → jefe/a m/f de compras
head case N (Brit) → majara mf, chiflado/a m/f
head cheese N (US) → queso m de cerdo, cabeza f de jabalí (Sp), carne f en gelatina
head clerk N → encargado/a m/f
head coach N (Sport) → primer(a) entrenador(a) m/f
head cold N → resfriado m (de cabeza)
head count N → recuento m de personas
to take a head count → hacer un recuento de personas
head gardener N → jefe/a m/f de jardineros
head girl N (Brit) (Scol) → delegada f de la escuela (alumna)
head injury N → herida f en la cabeza
head nurse N → enfermero/a m/f jefe
head office N → sede f central
head prefect N (Brit) (Scol) → delegado/a m/f de la escuela (alumno/alumna)
head restraint N (Aut) → apoyacabezas m inv, reposacabezas m inv
head start N → ventaja f
a good education gives your child a head start in life → una buena educación sitúa a su hijo en una posición aventajada en la vida
to have a head start (over or on sb) (Sport, fig) → tener ventaja (sobre algn)
he has a head start over other candidates → tiene ventaja sobre or les lleva ventaja a otros candidatos
even if he had a head start he couldn't possibly win → ni empezando con ventaja podría ganar
head teacher N → director(a) m/f
head waiter N → maître m
head wound N → herida f en la cabeza

head for VI + PREP

1. [+ place] where are you heading for? → ¿hacia dónde vas?, ¿para dónde vas?
it's time we were heading for home → ya es hora de que nos vayamos para casa
he picked up his coat and headed for the door → tomó el abrigo y se dirigió hacia la puerta
when he comes home he heads straight for the TV → nada más llegar a casa se va derechito para la televisión
the car was heading straight for us → el coche venía derecho hacia nosotros
the vessel was heading for the port of Basra → el navío iba rumbo al or se dirigía al puerto de Basra

2. (fig) to be heading for: you're heading for trouble → vas por mal camino
he's heading for a disappointment → se va a llevar una decepción
he's heading for a fall → va camino del fracaso

head off

A. VI + ADV (= set out) → marcharse (for, toward(s) para hacia hacia) I watched them head off into the sunset → les vi marcharse por donde se ponía el sol

B. VT + ADV

1. (= intercept) [+ person] → atajar, interceptar

2. (= ward off) [+ questions, criticism, trouble] → atajar; [+ person] → distraer (from de) if she asks where we're going, try and head her off → si pregunta dónde vamos, intenta distraerla

head up VT + ADV [+ group, team] → estar a la cabeza de, dirigir

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

head

[ˈhɛd]

[person, animal] → tête f
a shaved head → un crâne rasé
to shake one's head → hocher la tête
head first adv → la tête la première
He fell head first into the river → Il est tombé la tête la première dans la rivière.
from head to foot, from head to toe → de la tête aux pieds
to go head over heels (= fall) → tomber à la renverse
to fall head over heels, to fall head over heels in love → tomber follement amoureux/euse, tomber éperdument amoureux/euse
to be head over heels in love → être follement amoureux/euse, être éperdument amoureux/euse
to laugh one's head off → rire aux éclats
to scream one's head off → crier à tue-tête
to stand on one's head (= balance upside down) → faire le poirier
to give sb their head (= let sb do what they want to) → lâcher la bride à qn
to bang people's heads together, to knock people's heads together (= tell off severely) → en prendre un pour taper sur l'autre
heads are going to roll, heads will roll → des têtes vont tomber
on your own head be it! → à vos risques et périls!
to knock sth on the head (British) (= put a stop to sth) → laisser tomber qch
to rear its ugly head [problem] → faire sa réapparition
to go to sb's head [alcohol] → monter à la tête de qn
The wine went to my head → Le vin m'est monté à la tête.; [success] → monter à la tête de qn
to keep one's head above water (= survive) (in business) → se maintenir à flot
to bite sb's head off (fig) → rembarrer qn
to stand sth on its head [+ idea, argument] → prendre le contre-pied de qch head injury, head wound

(= mind) → tête f
to get sth into one's head [+ fact, idea] → se mettre qch dans la tête
Once they get an idea into their head they never give up → Une fois qu'ils se sont mis une idée en tête, ils n'en démordent plus.
when are you going to get it into your head that ... → quand vous serez-vous mis dans la tête que ...
to take it into one's head to do sth → se mettre en tête de faire qch
to go over sb's head [idea] → dépasser qn
to do a sum in one's head → faire une addition de tête
to keep one's head (= remain calm) → garder son sang-froid
to lose one's head → perdre la tête
to have no head for heights → être sujet(te) au vertige
to have a head for business → avoir le sens des affaires
to have a head for figures → être doué(e) pour les chiffres
to put your heads together (= think together)
Let's put our heads together → Réfléchissons ensemble.
Everyone put their heads together, and → Tout le monde y a réfléchi ensemble, et ...
off the top of my head (= without reflection) → de tête
Off the top of my head, here are a few examples → De tête, voici quelques exemples.
to go off one's head (mainly British) (= go crazy) → perdre la boule
to be off one's head (mainly British) (= be crazy) → être cinglé(e) (= be drunk) → être pété(e) (= be high on drugs) → être défoncé(e)
to be out of one's head (= be drunk) → être pété(e) (= be high on drugs) → être défoncé(e)

(= leader) → chef mf

[school] → directeur/trice m/f

(= each) 10 euros a head, 10 euros per head (= per person) → 10 euros par personne

(= top) to sit at the head of the table → présider la tablée
I can't make head or tail of this, I can't make head nor tail of this (= can't understand) → je n'y comprends rien

to come to a head [situation] → devenir critique

(HORSE RACING) to win by a head → gagner d'une tête
to be beaten by a short head (= narrowly) → être battu(e) d'une courte tête heads

npl (on coin) → face f
heads or tails? - heads → pile ou face ? - face
it's heads → face

[+ list] → être en tête de

[+ group, firm] → être à la tête de

(FOOTBALL) to head the ball → faire une tête

head back

vi (= set off back) → retourner

head down

vt [+ ball] → renvoyer

head for

vt fus → se diriger vers
They headed for the church → Ils se sont dirigés vers l'église.
What's the name of the place we're heading for?
BUT Comment s'appelle l'endroit où nous allons?.
Where are you heading for?
BUT Où allez-vous?.
to be heading for Glasgow, to be headed for Glasgow → aller à Glasgow
to be heading for disaster → aller droit au désastre

head off

vt sep

[+ threat, danger] → détourner

[+ person] → détourner de son chemin

vi (= leave) → partir

head out

vi (= go out) [person] → sortir
a fishing boat heading out to sea
BUT un bateau de pêcheurs prenant le large.

head up

vt (= lead) [+ department, division] → diriger
Judge Samuel Evans headed up the investigation → Le juge Samuel Evans a mené l'enquête.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

head

NOUN

Anat → Kopf m, → Haupt nt (geh); from head to foot → von Kopf bis Fuß; covered from head to foot or toe in mud → von oben bis unten mit Schlamm bedeckt; head down(wards) → mit dem Kopf nach unten; he can hold his head high in any company → er kann sich in jeder Gesellschaft sehen lassen; the condemned man held his head high as he went to the scaffold → der Verurteilte ging erhobenen Hauptes zum Schafott; to keep one’s head above water (lit) → den Kopf über Wasser halten; (fig) → sich über Wasser halten; I’ve got a really bad head this morning (inf) → ich habe einen ziemlichen Brummschädel heute Morgen (inf); to give a horse its head → einem Pferd die Zügel schießen lassen; to give somebody his head → jdn machen lassen; to go to one’s head (whisky, power) → einem in den or zu Kopf steigen; I can’t make head nor tail of it → daraus werde ich nicht schlau
? a or per head → pro Kopf; to pay 10 euros a or per head → 10 Euro pro Kopf bezahlen
? head and shoulders to stand or be head and shoulders above somebody (lit) → jdn um Haupteslänge überragen; (fig) → jdm haushoch überlegen sein
? head over heels to fall head over heels in love with somebody → sich bis über beide Ohren in jdn verlieben; to fall head over heels down the stairs → kopfüber die Treppe herunterfallen
? on one’s/its head to stand on one’s head → auf dem Kopf stehen; to stand or turn something on its head → etw auf den Kopf stellen; (fig) → etw umkehren; you could do it standing on your head (inf) → das kann man ja im Schlaf machen
? on one’s (own) head on your (own) head be it → auf Ihre eigene Kappe (inf) → or Verantwortung
? over sb’s head to go over somebody’s head → über jds Kopf hinweg handeln; he gave orders over my head → er hat über meinen Kopf (hin)weg Anordnungen gegeben; to be promoted over somebody’s head → vor jdm bevorzugt befördert werden
? one’s head off to talk one’s head off (inf) → reden wie ein Wasserfall (inf) → or wie ein Buch (inf); to laugh one’s head off (inf) → sich fast totlachen (inf); to shout one’s head off (inf) → sich (dat) → die Lunge aus dem Leib schreien (inf); to scream one’s head off (inf) → aus vollem Halse schreien

= measure of length → Kopf m; taller by a head → (um) einen Kopf größer; by a short head (Horse Racing, fig) → um Nasenlänge

= intellect → Kopf m, → Verstand m; use your head → streng deinen Kopf an; it never entered his head that … → es kam ihm nie in den Sinn, dass …; we put our heads together → wir haben unsere Köpfe zusammengesteckt; he has an old head on young shoulders → er ist sehr reif für sein Alter; two heads are better than one (prov) → besser zwei als einer allein; to be above or over somebody’s head → über jds Horizont (acc) → gehen; the joke went or was over his head → er verstand or kapierte (inf) → den Witz nicht; he talked over their heads → er hat über ihre Köpfe hinweg geredet; to keep one’s head → den Kopf nicht verlieren; to lose one’s head → den Kopf verlieren; to be weak or soft in the head (inf) → einen (kleinen) Dachschaden haben (inf)
? into one’s/sb’s head to get something into one’s head → etw begreifen; he can’t get it into his head that … → es will ihm nicht in den Kopf, dass …; I can’t get it into his head that … → ich kann es ihm nicht begreiflich machen, dass …; to take it into one’s head to do something → sich (dat) → in den Kopf setzen, etw zu tun; don’t put ideas into his head → bring ihn bloß nicht auf dumme Gedanken!; (= unrealistic wish) → setz ihm bloß keinen Floh ins Ohr! (inf); what/who put that idea into his head? → wie kommt er denn darauf?
? out of one’s head to put or get somebody/something out of one’s head → sich (dat) → jdn/etw aus dem Kopf schlagen; he couldn’t get her out of his head → er konnte sie sich nicht aus dem Kopf schlagen
? off one’s head he is off his head (Brit inf) → er ist (ja) nicht (ganz) bei Trost (inf), → er hat ja den Verstand verloren; (with drugs) → er ist auf dem Trip (inf)
? a (good) head (for) he has a good head for figures → er ist ein guter Rechner; you need a good head for heights → Sie müssen schwindelfrei sein; he has a good business head → er hat einen ausgeprägten Geschäftssinn; he has a good head on his shoulders → er ist ein heller or kluger Kopf

of cattle twenty head of cattle → zwanzig Stück Vieh

of vegetable: of lettuce, cabbage, asparagus → Kopf m; (of celery) → Staude f

= top part of flower, hammer, nail, page, pier → Kopf m; (of arrow, spear) → Spitze f; (of bed) → Kopf (→ ende nt) m; (on beer) → Blume f; (of cane) → Knauf m, → Griff m; (of corn) → Ähre f; (Archit: of column) → Kapitell nt; (of stream, = upper area) → Oberlauf m; (= source) → Ursprung m; (of abscess etc) → Eiterpfropf m; head of steam/water (= pressure) → Dampf-/Wasserdruck m; at the head of the lake → am Zufluss des Sees; at the head of the page/stairs → oben auf der Seite/an der Treppe; at the head of the list → oben auf der Liste; at the head of the table → oben am Tisch, am Kopf(ende) des Tisches; at the head of the queue (Brit) /army → an der Spitze der Schlange/des Heeres; at the head of the field (in race) → an der Spitze des Feldes

= crisis
? to a head to come to a head → sich zuspitzen; the problem has come to a head → das Problem hat sich zugespitzt; if things come to a head → wenn sich die Sache zuspitzt; to bring matters to a head → die Sache auf die Spitze treiben

= leader of family → Oberhaupt nt; (of business, organization) → Chef(in) m(f), → Boss m (inf); (of department) → Leiter(in) m(f); (of office, sub-department) → Vorsteher(in) m(f); (Sch) → Schulleiter(in) m(f); head of department (in business) → Abteilungsleiter(in) m(f); (Sch, Univ) → Fachbereichsleiter(in) m(f); head of state → Staatsoberhaupt nt

= heading → Rubrik f; listed under three main heads → in drei Rubriken eingetragen

of coin → Kopfseite f; heads or tails? → Kopf oder Zahl?; heads you win → bei Kopf gewinnst du

Naut (= bow) → Bug m; (of mast) → Topp m; (= toilet) → Pütz f

Tech on tape recorder → Tonkopf m; (Comput: = read/write head) → Kopf m

Drugs (inf) → Junkie m (inf)

TRANSITIVE VERB

= lead = be at the head of → anführen; (= be in charge of) → führen; team → leiten; they headed the procession/list → sie führten den Umzug/die Liste an; a coalition government headed by Mr Schröder → eine Koalitionsregierung unter der Führung von Herrn Schröder

= direct → steuern, lenken (→ towards, for in Richtung +gen)

= give a heading → überschreiben, eine Überschrift geben (+dat); in the chapter headed … → in dem Kapitel mit der Überschrift …; he heads each chapter with a quotation → er stellt jedem Kapitel ein Zitat voran

Ftbl → köpfen

INTRANSITIVE VERB
→ gehen; (vehicle) → fahren; where are you heading or headed? (inf) → wo gehen/fahren Sie hin?; are you heading my way? → gehen/fahren Sie in der gleichen Richtung wie ich?; and the tornado was heading our way → und der Tornado kam auf uns zu

PHRASAL VERBS
? head back vi → zurückgehen/-fahren; to be heading back → auf dem Rückweg sein; it’s time we were heading back now → es ist Zeit, umzukehren or sich auf den Rückweg zu machen
? head for vi +prep obj

place, person → zugehen/zufahren auf (+acc); town, country, direction → gehen/fahren in Richtung (+gen); door, pub, bargain counter, prettiest girl → zusteuern auf (+acc) (inf); (ship) → zufahren or Kurs halten auf (+acc); where are you heading or headed for? → wo gehen/fahren or steuern (inf) → Sie hin?; to head for home → sich auf den Heimweg machen

(fig) → zusteuern auf (+acc), → auf dem Weg sein zu; you’re heading for trouble → du bist auf dem besten Weg, Ärger zu bekommen; he is heading for a fall/the rocks → er rennt in sein Verderben; to head for victory/defeat → auf einen Sieg/eine Niederlage zusteuern

? head in vt sep ball → hineinköpfen; to head the ball into the net → den Ball ins Netz köpfen vi → köpfen
? head off vt sep

(= divert) → umdirigieren

(= avert) quarrel, war, strike → abwenden; person → ablenken; questions → abbiegen

vi (= set off) → sich aufmachen
? head up vt sep committee, delegation → führen, leiten

head

in cpds (= top, senior) → Ober-;

headache

n → Kopfweh nt, → Kopfschmerzen pl; (inf: = problem) → Problem nt; to have a head → Kopfschmerzen haben; this is a bit of a head (for us) → das macht or bereitet uns ziemliches Kopfzerbrechen; his teenage daughter was a real head → mit seiner heranwachsenden Tochter hatte er große Schwierigkeiten

headachy

adj (inf) to be head (= to suffer from headache) → an (leichten) Kopfschmerzen leiden; (= to cause a headache) → Kopfschmerzen verursachen

headband

n → Stirnband nt

head-banger

n (inf: = crazy person) → Bekloppte(r) mf (inf)

headboard

n → Kopfteil nt

head boy

n vom Schulleiter bestimmter Schulsprecher

headbutt

n → Kopfstoß m

vt → mit dem Kopf stoßen

headcase

n (inf) → Spinner(in) m(f) (inf)

headcheese

n (US) → Schweinskopfsülze f

head clerk

n (Comm) → Bürovorsteher(in) m(f); (Jur) → Kanzleivorsteher(in) m(f)

head cold

n → Kopfgrippe f

head count

n to have or take a head → abzählen

headcrash

n (Comput) → Headcrash m, → Festplattendefekt m

headdress

n → Kopfschmuck m

head

headfirst

adv (lit, fig) → kopfüber

head gate

n → (oberes) Schleusentor

headgear

n → Kopfbedeckung f; (of horse: = bridle) → Zaumzeug nt

head girl

n vom Schulleiter bestimmte Schulsprecherin

headguard

n → Kopfschutz m

head-hunt

vt → abwerben; I’ve been headed → ich bin abgeworben worden; (= have been approached) → man hat versucht, mich abzuwerben

vi we’ll have to go out and head → wir werden Mitarbeiter von anderen Firmen abwerben müssen

head-hunter

n (lit) → Kopfjäger m; (fig) → Kopfjäger(in) m(f), → Headhunter(in) m(f)

head-hunting

n (fig) → Abwerbeversuch (→ e pl) m

head

head lad

n (Horse Racing) → erster Stallbursche

headlamp, headlight

n → Scheinwerfer m

headland

n → Landspitze f

headless

adj → ohne Kopf; (fig old) → kopflos; to run around like a head chicken (Brit) or like a chicken with its head cut off (US) → wie ein aufgescheuchtes or kopfloses Huhn herumlaufen (inf)

headlight

n = headlamp

headline

n (Press) → Schlagzeile f; he is always in the heads → er macht immer Schlagzeilen; the heads were full of the story → die Geschichte beherrschte die Schlagzeilen; to grab or hit or make the heads → Schlagzeilen machen; the news heads → Kurznachrichten pl, → das Wichtigste in Kürze

vt to be headd … → die Überschrift … haben; an article headd … → ein Artikel mit der Überschrift …

headline news

n no pl to be head → in den Schlagzeilen sein

headliner

n (US Mus, Theat inf) → Headliner(in) m(f)

headline rate

n (Brit Econ) head of inflation → Inflationsrate f (unter Einbeziehung von Variablen wie Hypothekenzinssätzen etc)

headlock

n to get/have somebody in a head → jdn in den Schwitzkasten nehmen/im Schwitzkasten haben

headlong

adv

(= very fast) flee, run → überstürzt, Hals über Kopf (inf); (= with head forward) fall → vornüber; he ran head down the stairs → er rannte in Windeseile die Treppe hinunter

(fig, without careful thought) rush, plunge → überstürzt, Hals über Kopf (inf); to rush or plunge head into something → sich Hals über Kopf in etw (acc) → stürzen (inf)

adj flight, dash, rush → überstürzt; the army was in head flight → die Armee hatte Hals über Kopf die Flucht ergriffen (inf); they made a head dash for the door → sie stürzten blindlings auf die Tür zu; the dollar’s head fall → der unaufhaltsame Sturz des Dollars

headman

n (of tribe) → Häuptling m, → Stammesoberhaupt nt

headmaster

n (esp Brit) → Schulleiter m; (of secondary school also) → Direktor m; (of primary school also) → Rektor m

headmistress

n (esp Brit) → Schulleiterin f; (of secondary school also) → Direktorin f; (of primary school also) → Rektorin f

headnote

n (at the beginning of chapter, article) → kurze (Inhalts)angabe

head office

n → Zentrale f

head-on

adv

collide, crash → frontal

(fig: = directly) meet, confront, tackle → direkt; to meet tough issues head → schwierige Fragen direkt angehen; to confront somebody/something head → jdm/einer Sache ohne Umschweife entgegentreten

adj

head collision or smash → Frontalzusammenstoß m

(fig) conflict, confrontation → offen, direkt

headphones

pl → Kopfhörer pl

head post office

n → Hauptpostamt nt

headquarter

vt to be headed in (Mil) → sein Hauptquartier haben in (+dat); (business) → seine Hauptstelle or Zentrale haben in (+dat); (political party) → seine Parteizentrale haben in (+dat)

headquarters

n sing or pl (Mil) → Hauptquartier nt; (of business) → Hauptstelle f, → Zentrale f; (of political party) → Parteizentrale f, → Hauptquartier nt

headrace

n → Gerinne nt

headrest

n → Kopfstütze f

head restraint

n → Kopfstütze f

headroom

n → lichte Höhe; (in car) → Kopfraum m; 15 ft head → (lichte) Höhe 15 Fuß

headscarf

n → Kopftuch nt

headset

n → Kopfhörer pl

headship

n → Schulleiterstelle f, → Direktoren-/Rektorenstelle f

headshrinker

n (lit) → Schrumpfkopfindianer m; (inf: = psychiatrist) → Seelenklempner(in) m(f) (inf)

headsquare

n → Kopftuch nt

head start

n → Vorsprung m → (on sb jdm gegenüber)

headstone

n (on grave) → Grabstein m

headstrong

adj → eigensinnig, dickköpfig

head

head teacher

n (Brit) = headmaster, headmistress

head-to-head

adv to compete head with somebody → sich direkt mit jdm messen

adj contest, competition → direkt; (→ mit)

head voice

n (Mus) → Kopfstimme f

head waiter

n → Oberkellner m

head waitress

n → Oberkellnerin f

headwaters

pl → Quellflüsse pl

headway

n to make head (lit, fig) → vorankommen; did you make any head with the unions? → haben Sie bei den Gewerkschaften etwas erreicht?

headwind

n → Gegenwind m

headword

n → Anfangswort nt; (in dictionary) → Stichwort nt

headwork

(= mental work) → Kopfarbeit f, → geistige Arbeit

(Ftbl) → Kopfballspiel nt

(Tech) → Wasserkontrollanlage

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

head

[hɛd]

1. n

a. (Anat) → testa, capo
head of hair → capigliatura
head down → a testa bassa
head first → a capofitto, di testa
my head is aching → mi fa male la testa, ho mal di testa
to fall head over heels in love with sb → innamorarsi perdutamente or follemente di qn
from head to foot → dalla testa ai piedi
his head's in the clouds → ha la testa fra le nuvole
to keep one's head above water (fig) → mantenersi a galla
the horse won by a head → il cavallo ha vinto per una testa
on your head be it → a tuo rischio e pericolo
I could do it standing on my head (fam) → potrei farlo a occhi chiusi
they went over my head to the manager → mi hanno scavalcato e sono andati direttamente dal direttore
wine goes to my head → il vino mi dà or va alla testa
success has gone to his head → il successo gli ha dato alla testa
to shout one's head off (fam) → sgolarsi

b. (intellect, mind) → cervello, testa
two heads are better than one (Proverb) → due occhi vedono meglio di uno
it never entered my head → non mi è mai passato per la testa
to have a head for business → essere tagliato/a per gli affari
to have no head for heights → soffrire di vertigini
to lose/to keep one's head → perdere/non perdere la testa
let's put our heads together → pensiamoci insieme
it was above or over their heads → non erano all'altezza di capirlo
to do a sum in one's head → fare un calcolo a mente
I couldn't tell you off the top of my head (fam) → non te lo saprei dire così su due piedi
to get sth into one's head → ficcarsi in testa qc
to be off one's head (fam) → essere fuori di testa

c. (leader, of family, business) → capo; (of school) → direttore/trice, preside m/f
head of state (Pol) → capo di Stato

d. (on coin) → testa
heads or tails? → testa o croce?
I couldn't make head nor tail of it → per me non aveva né capo né coda

e. (no pl, unit) 20 head of cattle → 20 capi mpl di bestiame
£10 a or per head → 10 sterline a testa

f. (of hammer, bed, flower) → testa; (of nail) → capocchia; (of arrow) → punta; (of lettuce) → cespo; (of river) → sorgente f; (of stairs, page) → cima; (on beer) → schiuma; (on tape recorder, computer) → testina
at the head of (organization) → a capo di (train, procession) → in testa a, alla testa di (queue) → all'inizio di
to sit at the head of the table → sedersi a capotavola
to come to a head (abscess) → maturare (fig) (situation) → precipitare

g. (Naut) (of ship) → prua; (of sail) → penna

2. vt

a. (parade, list, poll) → essere in testa a; (company, group) → essere a capo di

b. (Ftbl) to head a ball → colpire di testa una palla

c. (chapter) → intitolare

3. vi → dirigersi
to head for → dirigersi or andare verso
to head home → andare a casa
she was heading up the stairs → stava salendo le scale
he is heading for trouble → sta andando incontro a dei guai

4. adj

a. (clerk, typist) → capo inv

head for vi + prep → dirigersi verso

head off vt + adv (threat, danger) → sventare; (person, animal) → far cambiare direzione a

head up vt + adv (Am) (team, group) → essere a capo di

head

(hed) noun

1. the top part of the human body, containing the eyes, mouth, brain etc; the same part of an animal's body. The stone hit him on the head; He scratched his head in amazement.

2. a person's mind. An idea came into my head last night.

3. the height or length of a head. The horse won by a head.

4. the chief or most important person (of an organization, country etc). Kings and presidents are heads of state; (also adjective) a head waiter; the head office.

5. anything that is like a head in shape or position. the head of a pin; The boy knocked the heads off the flowers.

6. the place where a river, lake etc begins. the head of the Nile.

7. the top, or the top part, of anything. Write your address at the head of the paper; the head of the table.

8. the front part. He walked at the head of the procession.

9. a particular ability or tolerance. He has no head for heights; She has a good head for figures.

10. a headmaster or headmistress. You'd better ask the Head.

11. (for) one person. This dinner costs $10 a head.

12. a headland. Beachy Head.

13. the foam on the top of a glass of beer etc.

verb

1. to go at the front of or at the top of (something). The procession was headed by the band; Whose name headed the list?

2. to be in charge of; to be the leader of. He heads a team of scientists investigating cancer.

3. (often with for) to (cause to) move in a certain direction. The explorers headed south; The boys headed for home; You're heading for disaster!

4. to put or write something at the beginning of. His report was headed `Ways of Preventing Industrial Accidents'.

5. (in football) to hit the ball with the head. He headed the ball into the goal.

-headed

having (a certain number or type of) head(s). a two-headed monster; a bald-headed man.

ˈheader noun

1. a fall or dive forwards. He slipped and took a header into the mud.

2. (in football) the act of hitting the ball with the head. He scored with a great header.

ˈheading noun

what is written at the top of a page etc. The teacher said that essays must have a proper heading.

heads noun, adverb

(on) the side of a coin with the head of a king, president etc on it. He tossed the penny and it came down heads.

ˈheadache noun

1. a pain in the head. Bright lights give me a headache.

2. something worrying. Lack of money is a real headache.

ˈheadband noun

a strip of material worn round the head to keep one's hair off one's face.

ˈhead-dress noun

something, usually ornamental, which is worn on, and covers, the head. The tribesmen were wearing head-dresses of fur and feathers.

ˌheadˈfirst adverb

with one's head in front or bent forward. He fell headfirst into a pool of water.

ˈheadgear noun

anything that is worn on the head. Hats, caps and helmets are headgear.

ˈheadlamp noun

a headlight.

ˈheadland noun

a point of land which sticks out into the sea.

ˈheadlight noun

a powerful light at or on the front of a car, lorry, train, ship, aeroplane etc. As it was getting dark, the driver switched on his headlights.

ˈheadline noun

the words written in large letters at the top of newspaper articles. I never read a paper in detail – I just glance at the headlines.

ˈheadlines noun plural

a brief statement of the most important items of news, on television or radio. the news headlines.

ˈheadlong adjective, adverb

1. moving forwards or downwards, with one's head in front. a headlong dive into the pool of water; He fell headlong into a pool of water.

2. (done) without thought or delay, often foolishly. a headlong rush; He rushes headlong into disaster.

head louse

a type of louse that infests the human head.

headˈmaster – feminine headˈmistress – noun

the person in charge of a school; the principal.

ˌhead-ˈon adverb, adjective

(usually of cars etc) with the front of one car etc hitting the front of another car etc. a head-on collision; The two cars crashed head-on.

ˈheadphones noun plural

(also ˈearphones) a pair of electronic instruments held over a person's ears, by a metal band over the head, which are connected to a radio. a set of headphones.

ˌheadˈquarters noun singular or plural

(often abbreviated to HQ (eitʃˈkjuː) noun) the place from which the chief officers or leaders of an organization (especially an army) direct and control the activities of that organization. During the election, his house was used as the campaign headquarters.

ˈheadrest noun

a sort of small cushion which supports a person's head, eg as fitted to a dentist's chair, a car seat.

ˈheadscarf, ˈheadsquare nouns

a usually square scarf worn by women over or round the head.

ˈheadstone noun

a stone put at a grave, usually with the name of the dead person on it, the date of his birth and death etc.

ˈheadstrong adjective

(of people) difficult to persuade or control; always doing or wanting to do what they themselves want. a headstrong, obstinate child.

ˈheadwind noun

a wind which is blowing towards one.

above someone's head

too difficult (for someone) to understand. His lecture was well above their heads.

go to someone's head

1. (of alcohol) to make someone slightly drunk. Champagne always goes to my head.

2. (of praise, success etc) to make someone arrogant, foolish etc. Don't let success go to your head.

head off

1. to make (a person, animal etc) change direction. One group of the soldiers rode across the valley to head the bandits off.

2. to go in some direction. He headed off towards the river.

head over heels

1. completely. He fell head over heels in love.

2. turning over completely; headfirst. He fell head over heels into a pond.

heads or tails?

used when tossing a coin, eg to decide which of two people does, gets etc something. Heads or tails? Heads you do the dishes, tails I do them.

keep one's head

to remain calm and sensible in a crisis etc.

lose one's head

to become angry or excited, or to act foolishly in a crisis.

make head or tail of

to understand. I can't make head or tail of these instructions.

make headway

to make progress. We're not making much headway with this new scheme.

off one's head

mad. You must be off your head to work for nothing.

head

→ رَأْس, رَئِيس, يَرْأَسُ být v čele, hlava, vedoucí hoved, lede, leder anführen, Kopf, Leiter επικεφαλής, ηγούμαι, κεφάλι cabeza, encabezar, jefe johtaa, pää, rehtori directeur, présider, tête glava, poglavar, voditi capo, dirigere, testa ･･･の先頭に立つ, 長, 頭 ...으로 나아가다, 머리, 우두머리 aan het hoofd staan van, hoofd hode, lede, sjef głowa, prowadzić, zwierzchnik cabeça, director, diretor, liderar возглавлять, голова, директор chef, huvud, sätta kurs ครูใหญ่, นำ, ศีรษะ baş, başı çekmek cái đầu, dẫn đầu, người đứng đầu 头, 领头, 首脑

head

1. n. cabeza;

2. parte principal de una estructura;

from ___ to toe → de la ___ a los pies;

___ birth → presentación cefálica;

___ drop → caída de la ___;

___ injury → traumatismo del cráneo, golpe en la ___;

___ of the family → ___ de familia;

to nod one's ___ → asentir con la ___.

head

n cabeza; (of an abscess) parte blanca donde hay pus (de un absceso); (of a bed) cabecera; I’m not saying it’s all in your head..No le estoy diciendo que todo está en su cabeza; to come to a — (an abscess) madurar (un absceso)