the upper or foremost division of the human body containing the brain, the chief sense organs, and the face, also clearly demarcated in most other animals, although only certain mammals have the musculature for facial expression
the seat of the intellect; the mind
Two heads are better than one
informal a headache
(in pl, but treated as sing. or pl) the obverse of a coin, typically bearing the head of the monarch or president: compare tail1 (5)
a person or individual
at a cost of £25 per head
count heads
(with pl meaning) used in counting livestock
500 head of cattle
the end that is upper, higher, or opposite the foot
the head of the table
the source of a stream, river, etc
the end of a lake or inlet into which a river flows
(used in place names) a headland
Worms Head
either end of something, e.g. a cask or drum, whose two ends need not be distinguished
a director or leader, e.g. a school principal
a director or leader, e.g.:
a school principal
a person in charge of a department in an institution
a rounded or flattened cluster of flowers; = capitulum (1)
the foliaged part of a plant, esp when consisting of a compact mass of leaves or fruits
the leading part of a military column, procession, etc
the uppermost extremity or projecting part of an object; the top
the striking or operational part of a weapon, tool, implement, etc
the flattened or rounded end of a nail, tack, screw, etc
a body of water kept in reserve at a height
a mass of water in motion
the difference in height between two points in a body of liquid, or the pressure resulting from this
the pressure of a fluid
a good head of steam
Brit (usu in pl) a toilet, esp a ship's toilet
a measure of length equivalent to a head
won by a head
the place of leadership, honour, or command
at the head of the class
a word often in larger letters placed above a passage in order to introduce or categorize it; = heading (1)
a separate section or topic
matters discussed under several heads
the foam or froth that rises on a fermenting or effervescing liquid, esp beer
the part of a boil, pimple, etc at which it is likely to break
a part of a machine or machine tool containing a device, e.g. a cutter or drill, or the part of an apparatus that performs the chief or a particular function
any of at least two electromagnetic components that bear on the magnetic tape in a tape recorder, such that one can erase recorded material if desired and another may either record or play back
said of intellectual material: too difficult for somebody them to understand
to deal summarily with people who persist in arguing and refusing to cooperate with each other
to arrive at a culminating point or crisis
informal to make somebody confused or frustrated
so as to cover the body completely
to secure an advantage for oneself at the outset of a competition, etc
informal to manage to understand it
informal to get some sleep
informal to start concentrating on a task, esp a mental one
to allow it to gallop
coarse slang to perform oral sex on somebody
to allow somebody to act on their own initiative
to ignore the person immediately senior to somebody one in a hierarchy and appeal, complain, etc to somebody in higher authority
said of alcohol: to make somebody them intoxicated or dizzy
said of fame or success: to make somebody them conceited or overconfident
to have an aptitude for, or an ability to cope with, something
to be constantly under a threat
so as to perform a somersault
helplessly
fell head over heels in love
people will be dismissed or made to resign
to keep emotionally and intellectually cool, and act the more effectively as a result
to remain solvent; broadly to stay out of difficulty
to dismiss it at a stroke
to laugh, talk, etc with inordinate vigour and vociferousness
to panic or behave irrationally
to make no sense of something it; to fail to understand it
informal crazy or mad
you are responsible for whatever unwanted results your conduct, etc brings
to think something out jointly
to be noticeably superior to (others)
to reverse it, or apply it the other way round
to conceive a sudden notion or resolve
to draw the gaze of passers-by
to make somebody conceited
in a dreamy state of mind