α. 1600s– headquarter.
β. 1600s– headquarters.
headquartersn.
/ˌhɛdˈkwɔːtəz/, /ˈhɛdˌkwɔːtəz/, U.S. /ˈhɛdˌkwɔrdərz/, /ˌhɛdˈkwɔrdərz/ 1. Military. The premises or establishment occupied, permanently or temporarily, by a military commander and his or her staff. In later use generally understood as a spec. use of sense 2.
a.
(a) In form headquarter with singular agreement. Now rare (chiefly South Asian).
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1622 Contin. Newes Present Weeke No. 5. 17 They..are..about to draw away their Ordnance into their head quarter at Neckeraw.
1647 T. May Hist. Parl. iii. vi. 103 The General taking up his Head Quarter at Aynow, sent a Regiment to quarter that night at Deddington.
1703 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion II. vi. 34 Edge-hill..where the head Quarter of the Earl was.
1759 A. Mitchell Let. 13 July in Mem. & Papers (1850) II. xii. 76 His Majesty, not chusing to remain in the rear of his army, moved his head quarter to a farm-house called Durren-Vohrwerch.
1850 tr. F. W. Hackländer Scenes Life Soldier 21 This declaration will be..delivered to Marshal Count Radetsky, commander of the Austrian troops in Italy, at his head-quarter in Milan.
1918 L. A. Leonard Life C. Carroll 219 The army headquarter was at Fort Washington near the mouth of the Miami river.
1992 S. K. Sinha Soldier Recalls vii. 277 My headquarter was at Chandhi Mandir which is easily the best laid out military cantonment in the country.
(b) In form headquarters with plural agreement, denoting more than one establishment or location.This use may represent the regular plural of sense 1a(a) or the unchanged plural of sense 1b.
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1639 Curranto this Weeke from Holland No. 86. 345 This Campe is divided into 2 Head-quarters, on one side commandeth Monsieur de Lambert, and on th'other side Colonell Gassion.
1755 Misc. Corr. May 82/2 The Lords of the Admiralty have ordered, that the officers in the fifty new companies of Marines do repair to their several head-quarters with the utmost expedition.
1805 Evening Fire-side 7 Dec. 392/2 The grand French army of reserve has three head-quarters, Boulogne, Mayence, and Strasburg.
1894 J. M. Howell tr. F. Masson Napoleon v. 67 From the year 1792 young women in masculine apparel were to be found at all the headquarters of the Army of the Republic.
1992 R. B. Finn Winners in Peace iii. 35 He set up two headquarters, one to control Japan (GHQ SCAP) and the other to command U.S. forces in the Far east (GHQ FEC).
b. In form headquarters with plural or singular agreement, denoting a single establishment or location. In later use also without article.
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society > armed hostility > military operations > distribution of troops > military position > [noun] > headquarters
headquarters1644
general headquartersa1711
GHQ1856
fire command1907
command post1918
society > armed hostility > military organization > logistics > quartering > [noun] > quarters > of commander-in-chief
headquarters1644
1644 Weekly Acct. No. 35. sig. A2v The Hoptonian Forces are as yet at their head quarters at Winchester.
1660 Exact Accompt Trial Regicides 158 The head-quarters of the Army were at Windsor.
1705 J. Michelborne Ireland Preserv'd i. iii. 53 The shutting up the Gates of Derry against the Earl of Antrim's Regiment, I fear will be of Ill Consequence; there is their Magazine and Head Quarters.
1754 London Mag. Aug. 358/1 The general officers..are not to allow any whores to remain at head-quarters.
1837 W. Irving Adventures Capt. Bonneville I. 12 He..was on his way to report himself at head-quarters, in the hopes of being reinstated in the service.
1854 J. H. Stocqueler Hand-bk. Brit. India (ed. 3) 296 Wattair, a military station, the head-quarters of the divisional command.
1907 F. Maurice Hist. War S. Afr. II. 211 On the night of the 7th Lord Roberts' Headquarters were at Poplar Grove.
1938 Foreign Service Feb. 13/3 ‘You are wanted at Headquarters,’ said the Captain. ‘March ahead of me and don't make any fast moves.’
1986 T. Clancy Red Storm Rising (1988) iii. 50 His was the ‘point’ command with headquarters in Berlin, the single most powerful military command in the world.
2003 A. Swofford Jarhead 78 I'll look you up at headquarters, marine.
2. gen. A principal or central place of residence, meeting, or business; the centre of operations; the managerial and administrative centre of an organization, district, etc. Also: the chief or dominant location for a particular activity, belief, circumstance, etc.
a.
(a) In form headquarter with singular agreement. Now rare (chiefly South Asian).
ΚΠ
1645 J. Goodwin Innocency & Truth Triumphing 19 Jerusalem..being their [sc. the Apostles'] Head-quarter, or Rendevouz.
1651 G. Gardyner Descr. New World ix. 62 They live in Tents..and have Shallops to attend them, to conveigh them away when they please, most commonly to Turtagues which is their head Quarter.
1756 J. Bate Pract. Use Public Judgments 4 That unfortunate City [sc. Lisbon]..was the head Quarter of the Evil.
1787 Gentleman's Mag. June 497/2 His father settled at Birmingham. This was the head-quarter of divinity.
1869 W. E. Gladstone Juventus Mundi viii. 262 The later tradition..places the most noted seat of it [sc. the worship of Demeter] in Attica..with Eleusis for its head-quarter.
1902 Biblia Sept. 175 The head quarter of the toparchy was the Metropolis.
1982 Times of India 2 Jan. 6 While Ratnagiri town is the headquarter of North Ratnagiri district, a dispute has arisen over what should be the headquarter of South Ratnagiri district.
1993 S. Achuthan et al. Computer Technol. Higher Educ. II. iii. 143 Another network was established by National Informatics Centre..whose headquarter is at Delhi.
(b) In form headquarters with plural agreement, denoting more than one establishment or location.This use may represent the regular plural of sense 2a(a) or the unchanged plural of sense 2b.
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1832 Edinb. Rev. July 452 He visited Toledo and the Escurial, the two head-quarters of Spanish superstition.
1889 Jrnl. National Assoc. Railway Surgeons 2 44 I was permitted to visit all the headquarters of the railroads in England, Scotland, Ireland, [etc.].
1909 F. M. Parsons Incomparable Siddons xiv. 204 Mrs. Siddons's three headquarters were Dublin, Cork, and Belfast.
1985 T. F. Saarinen & J. L. Sell Warning & Response Mount St. Helens Eruption vii. 147 Communication between the two headquarters was often blocked by jammed telephone lines.
2004 A. E. Farnsley et al. Sacred Circles, Public Squares ii. 18 The city..was home to several headquarters including the Stutz Motor Car Company and the Duesenberg Motors Company.
b. In form headquarters with plural or singular agreement, denoting a single establishment or location. In later use also without article.
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the world > space > place > [noun] > a locality
list?1614
ubiquitya1637
headquarters1647
region1726
locale1761
locality1770
ubity1964
the world > space > place > [noun] > from which operations are carried on
headquarters1647
base1809
basis1833
home base1865
sharp end1948
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > dwelling place or abode > accommodation or lodging > [noun] > quarters > headquarters
standard1481
headquarters1780
society > occupation and work > workplace > office > [noun] > principal
head house1516
head office1676
home office1840
headquarters1922
1647 T. Fuller Good Thoughts in Worse Times iii. vi. 111 This necessary severity doth sweep their state from being the sink of Sinners, the Rendevouz of Rogues, and Head-Quarters of all Malefactors.
1661 T. Stephens Ad Magistratum iii. 93 As for Gilgal it was the constant head-quarters, where Joshua pitched his camp.
1780 A. Young Tour Ireland 382 A good line in which to view these objects is..to make Dobbin's inn, at Ballyporeen, the head quarters, and view them from thence.
1809 J. M'Mahon in G. L. Wardle Charges against Duke of York 235 Although he has returned to town for the season as his head-quarters, he makes two or three days excursions from it as often as he can.
1851 D. Jerrold St. Giles & St. James (new ed.) xix, in Writings I. 202 Whereupon the canvassing party returned to their head-quarters.
1888 J. W. Burgon Lives Twelve Good Men I. ii 178 Sound guidance..and a strong continuous impulse from head-quarters.
1922 E. Wallace Crimson Circle vi. 37 We view with consternation the seeming helplessness of police head-quarters to deal with this criminal gang.
1950 R. Himmel I'll find You (1958) xvii. 117 She turned up at headquarters..and said she had some information on a killing.
1990 Mirabella May 151/2 The juncture of Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue..is headquarters for the world's most friendly and polite skinheads.
2004 Daily Tel. 11 May 2/1 Hundreds of Home Office staff should be moved out of London because a new headquarters is too small to accommodate them, according to a report today.
3. In form headquarters without article, usually with plural agreement: the people who work or are based at headquarters; commanders or managers collectively.
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society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > leader or commander > officer or soldier of rank > [noun] > staff officer > staff of officers
ordinary1526
generality1578
generalty1643
staff1781
état-major1805
headquarters1812
horse guards1826
higher command1842
high command1904
family1907
1812 C. Stewart Let. 26 Jan. in A. H. Craufurd Gen. Craufurd & Light Div. (1891) vii. 218 Lord Wellington and the whole of head-quarters moved in the mournful procession.
1893 W. Forbes-Mitchell Reminisc. Great Mutiny i. 5 It turned out to be the Mauritius with headquarters on board.
1948 Thrilling Wonder Stories June 124/2 Nothing ever happens on a space-can! Headquarters will hush-hush the story, too.
1974 C. Ryan Bridge too Far iii. xiv. 209 Shortly after, brigade headquarters arrived and set up in the attic of a house near Frost's.
2006 B. Shawver Aftermath (2007) ii. 18 It was an intractable situation, headquarters said.
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1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. 375 Head-quarters,..the man-of-war, or transport, which carries the staff of an expedition.
Compounds
General attributive and other compounds. C1. With first element in form headquarter.
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1802 C. James New Mil. Dict. sig. 4U/2 Head-quarter ship, the ship on which the commander in chief of an expedition is embarked, and from which signals are made for the commanding officers, adjutants, &c. of corps, to attend.
1807 Morning Chron. 22 Jan. The new plan..produced a considerable number by Head-quarter Recruiting.
1810 P. Hawker Jrnl. Regimental Officer 19 The second and third squadrons..formed the head-quarter division.
1879 J. Lubbock Addresses, Polit. & Educ. i. 5 For recruiting expenses, headquarter expenses, or non-effective charges.
1885 C. A. Siringo Texas Cow Boy xviii. 287 I went to all the sign camps, and also the head-quarter ranch.
1942 Fortune Nov. 83/1 (advt.) Think of the havoc radio interference could play in distorting headquarter commands!
1989 San Diego Oct. 138/2 Jahn..has made a specialty of creating just the type of headquarter monuments that high-profile corporations seek.
2001 Financial Times 27 Jan. 17/1 (advt.) We are building this headquarter function in the largest European health and accident market, in Germany.
C2. With first element in form headquarters.
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1808 Narr. Exped. Gen. Craufurd i. ii. 8 The Juliana transport, the head-quarters ship of the 36th, appeared without her mizen mast, and main-top gallant mast.
1812 J. E. Daniel Jrnl. 19 Mar. in Jrnl. Officer Commissariat Dept. (1820) 81 Lord Wellington, with Marshal Beresford and the head-quarters staff, now quitted Elvas.
1862 Count C. Arrivabene Italy under Victor Emmanuel I. xii. 251 The Marquis of Cadorre was charged with the direction of the head-quarters police.
1907 A. Blackwood Listener 124 He recognised him as Dowling's partner—a headquarters detective.
1970 N.Y. Times 30 Oct. 41 A ragtag group of fedayeen bearing kalashnikovs, hand grenades and often Pepsi-Cola bottles, swarms around the headquarters area.
1979 C. L. Vincent Policeman iii. 32 Most of the police divisions operate out of the first precinct, or the downtown headquarters building.
2009 D. Ignatius Increment viii. 82 The director didn't respond until they were almost to the gates of the headquarters complex.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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