head

noun

1. 1. the top part of the body in humans, the apes, etc., or the front part in most other animals: in higher animals it is a bony structure containing the brain, and including the jaws, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth
   2. this part exclusive of the face
2. 1. the head as the seat of reason, memory, and imagination; mind; intelligence to use one's head
   2. aptitude; ability to have a head for mathematics
   3. Informal a headache, esp. as part of a hangover
3. the head as a symbol for the individual; person dinner at five dollars a head
4. pl. head the head as a unit of counting fifty head of cattle
5. a representation of a head, as in painting or sculpture
6. the obverse of a coin, usually with such a representation
   often heads
7. the highest or uppermost part or thing; top; specif.,
   1. the top of a page, column of figures, etc.
   2. a printed title at the top of a page, section of writing, etc.
   3. a chief point of discussion; topic of a section, chapter, etc. in a speech or written work
   4. a headline for a newspaper story
   5. froth floating on newly poured effervescent beverages, esp. on beer
   6. that end of a cask or barrel which is uppermost at any time
   7. the upper edge or corner of a sail
8. the foremost part of a thing; front; specif.,
   1. a part associated with the human head the head of a bed
   2. the end of a pier farthest from land
   3. the front part of a ship; bow
   4. Naut. a toilet, or lavatory
   5. the front position, as of a column of marchers
   6. either end of something; extremity
9. the projecting part of something; specif.,
   1. the part designed for holding, pushing, striking, etc. the head of a pin, the head of a golf club
   2. a jutting mass of rock, land, etc. as of a mountain
   3. a point of land; promontory; headland
   4. a projecting place in a boil or other inflammation where pus is about to break through
   5. the part of a tape recorder that records or plays back the magnetic signals on the tape
   6. warhead
10. the membrane stretched across the end of a drum, tambourine, etc.; drumhead
11. the source of a flowing body of water; beginning of a stream, river, etc.
12. 1. a source of water kept at some height to supply a mill, etc.
    2. the height of such a source of water or the vertical distance through which it falls
    3. a rush of water, as in a riptide
13. the pressure in an enclosed fluid, as steam, from its own weight or applied externally
14. a position of leadership, honor, or first importance the head of the class
15. the person who is foremost or in charge; leader, ruler, chief, director, etc.
16. a headmaster
17. Bot.
    1. a dense cluster of tiny sessile flowers attached to a common receptacle, as in the composite family
    2. a large, compact bud a head of cabbage
    3. the uppermost part of a plant's foliage the head of a tree
18. ☆ Jazz
    1. the melody or theme of a composition
    2. an improvised, usually extemporaneous arrangement that is not written down
       in full head arrangement
19. Linguis. any word or word group in a construction that functions grammatically like the entire construction “woman” is the head of “the woman who wrote that book”
20. Mining heading (sense )
21. Music the rounded part of a note, at the end of the stem
22. ☆ Slang
    1. a habitual user of a hallucinogen, stimulant, etc., as marijuana or cocaine: often in combination acidhead
    2. a person dedicated to, enthusiastic about, or addicted to some interest, activity, food, etc.: usually in combination cheesehead

Etymology: ME hede, heved < OE heafod, akin to Ger haupt (OHG houbit, Goth haubith) < IE base *kaput- (orig. prob. cup-shaped) > L caput: merged in Gmc with word akin to OHG hūba, a cap, crest (Ger haube) < IE base *keu-, to bend, curve

adjective

1. of or having to do with the head
2. most important; principal; commanding; first
3. to be found at the top or front
4. striking against the front head winds

transitive verb

1. to be the chief of or in charge of; command; direct
2. 1. to be at the top or beginning of; lead; precede: often with up to head a list
   2. to take a lead over, as in a race or competition
3. to supply (a pin, etc.) with a head
4. Rare to behead; decapitate
5. to trim the higher part from (a tree or plant); poll
6. ☆ to go around the head of to head a stream
7. to turn or cause to go in a specified direction to head a car for home
8. Soccer to hit (the ball) with one's head

intransitive verb

1. to grow or come to a head
2. to set out; travel to head eastward
3. ☆ to originate, as a river