noun | verb | adjective
headhead1 /hɛd/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1
top of body [countable] the top part of your body that has your face at the front and your brain in it: He turned his head to kiss her. He received severe head injuries in the accident. Campbell nodded his head (=moved it up and down to show agreement or say yes). Several people shook their heads (=moved them from side to side to say no or show disagreement). Bob raised his head to look at her (=looked up). They bowed their heads in prayer (=looked down).2mind [countable] your mind or mental ability SYN mind: Troy’s head is just full of ideas.in somebody’s head I have a picture of what it should be like in my head. I can do the addition in my head. You can figure this out – just use your head (=think about it carefully)! The name just popped into my head (=I suddenly thought of it). I couldn’t get the tune out of my head (=could not stop thinking about it). What put that idea into your head (=made you think or believe it)? Marion has a head for numbers and facts (=she is good at understanding and remembering them).3person in charge [countable] the leader or person in charge of a group or organization, or the most important person in a group: Professor Calder is the department head.head of Eileen is head of the family now. The European heads of state gathered in Paris yesterday (=leaders of countries). He is the head chef at Chez Henri (=the one with the highest position).► see thesaurus at boss14front/leading position the head the front of something, or the most important position: head of Put the pillows at the head of the bed. The bride and groom sat at the head of the table.5on a tool [countable] the widest or top part of something such as a piece of equipment or a tool: The shower head is leaking.head of The dot was smaller than the head of a pin.6PLANT [countable] science, biology the top of a plant where its leaves and flowers grow: Heads of lettuce were growing in neat rows.7(from) head to foot/toe over your whole body: The kids were covered head to foot in mud.8keep your head above water to just manage to live or keep your business working when you are having money problems: I work full time, but we’re still just keeping our heads above water.9come to a head (also bring something to a head) if a problem or difficult situation comes to a head, or if something brings it to a head, it suddenly becomes worse and you have to do something about it immediately: The situation came to a head when the workers went out on strike.10laugh/shout/scream your head off informal to laugh, shout, etc. very loudly: Fans were screaming their heads off.11put your heads together informal to discuss a difficult problem together: We need to put our heads together and make a decision.12a clear/cool head the ability to think clearly or calmly in a difficult or dangerous situation: The situation is tense, and cool heads are needed.13get/be in over your head to be doing something that is more difficult or risky than you are able to deal with: New hikers can easily get in over their heads.14keep/lose your head to remain calm in a difficult or dangerous situation, or to be unable to remain calm: I just lost my head and started yelling.15go over somebody’s head a)to be too difficult for someone to understand: The explanation went right over the kids’ heads. b)to ask a more important person to deal with something than the person you would normally ask16can’t make head(s) or tail(s) of something to be completely unable to understand something: I couldn’t make heads or tails of the book.17go to somebody’s head informal a)if success goes to someone’s head, it makes someone feel more important than he or she really is: Dave really let his promotion go to his head. b)if alcohol goes to your head, it quickly makes you feel slightly drunk: The wine went straight to my head.SPOKEN PHRASES18heads up! used to warn people that something is falling from above, or that something is being thrown to them19have a good head on your shoulders to be sensible or intelligent20get your head together to start behaving in a sensible and responsible way: I got off drugs and started to get my head together.21have your head screwed on (right/straight) (also keep your head on straight) to be sensible and able to deal with difficult situations: Even as a kid, Yolanda had her head screwed on right.22get something into your head to understand and realize something: I wish he’d get it into his head that school is important.23need your head examined to be crazy: Anybody who believes in UFOs needs their head examined.24heads will roll used to say that some people will be punished severely for something that has happened25on your own head be it used to tell someone that he or she will be blamed if the thing he or she is planning to do has bad results26not be right in the head to be mentally ill or not as intelligent as a normal person27not bother/trouble your head about something to not worry about something, because you think it is unimportant or too difficult to understand: Hale doesn’t bother his head about the opinions of strangers.28heads the side of a coin that has a picture of a person’s head on it OPP tails29a head of hair a lot of hair on your head: Roy’s full head of hair is mostly gray.30a head/per head for each person: The meal will cost $7 a head.31keep your head down to try not to be noticed or not to get involved in something: When Ali’s parents are fighting, he just tries to keep his head down.32have your head in the clouds to not be thinking in a practical or sensible way33be/fall head over heels (in love) to love or start loving someone very much: Sam was obviously head over heels in love with his new bride.34go head to head with somebody to deal with someone in a very direct and determined way: Jim finally went head to head with his boss.35have no head for heights to be unable to look down from high places without feeling nervous36beer [countable usually singular] the layer of small white bubbles on the top of a glass of beer37ELECTRONICS [countable] a piece of equipment that changes information on something magnetic, such as a recording tape or a computer hard disk, into electrical messages that electronic equipment can use38head of cattle/sheep etc. a particular number of cows, sheep, etc.: It’s a small farm with only 20 head of cattle.39be out of your head informal to not know what you are doing because you have taken illegal drugs or drunk too much alcohol40be (like) banging your head against a brick wall spoken to seem like you are making no progress at all when you are trying to do something: Talking to her is like banging my head against a brick wall.41turn/stand something on its head to make people think about something in the opposite way from the way it was intended: “You stand logic on its head when you use safety as a reason for owning a gun,” the senator said.42be head and shoulders above the rest/others to be much better at something than everyone else43RIVER/STREAM [countable] the beginning of a river or stream44INFECTION [countable] the center of a swollen spot on your skin45head of water/steam pressure that is made when water or steam is kept in an enclosed space46take it into your head to do something to suddenly decide to do something that does not seem sensible: Neil suddenly took it into his head to go to Japan.[Origin: Old English heafod] → see also bite somebody’s head off at bite1 (5), bury your head in the sand at bury (11), eyes pop out (of your head) at eye1 (26), hang your head at hang1 (12), hold your head up/high at hold1 (36), nod your head at nod1 (1), a roof over your head at roof1 (2), shake your head at shake1 (3), do something standing on your head at stand1 (15), off the top of your head at top1 (15), turn somebody’s head at turn1 (26)COLLOCATIONSverbsturn your head John turned his head to look at the boy.shake your head (=move it from side to side, especially to show disagreement) “It’s too much,” he said, shaking his head.nod your head (=move it up and down, especially to show agreement) The audience nodded their heads enthusiastically.raise/lift your head (=look up) Tom raised his head to listen, then went back to his book.bow/bend/lower your head (=look down) He bowed his head and tried not to look at her.hang your head (=look down, especially because you are ashamed) She hung her head, not sure how to reply.scratch your head (=especially because you do not understand something) He scratched his head and started looking through the drawers again.cock/tilt your head (=move your head so that it leans toward one shoulder, especially when you are waiting for or interested in something) The dog cocked her head as she watched the cat approach.somebody’s head hurts/aches/throbs Her head was throbbing and she needed to lie down.adjectivessomebody’s bare head (=not covered) The sun beat down on her bare head.somebody’s bald head (=without hair) His bald head shone with sweat.somebody’s shaved/shaven head A lot of the young men had shaved heads and wore leather.somebody’s blonde/dark/gray etc. head (=with blonde/dark etc. hair) I saw my son’s blond head sticking out from the car window.head + nounshead injury Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injuries. noun | verb | adjective
headhead2 ●●● S2 W2 verb 1GO TOWARD [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to go or make something go in a particular direction: be headed Where are you guys headed?head for/toward/across etc. A line of trucks was heading out of town. We were just heading home.head north/south etc. They were going up the hill, heading west.► see thesaurus at go12BE IN CHARGE [transitive] (also head up) to be in charge of a government, organization, or group of people: Most single-parent families are headed by women. The commission was headed up by Barry Kerr.3FUTURE be heading (also be headed) if you are heading for a situation, especially a bad one, it is likely to happen: head for You’re heading for trouble. Where is your life heading?4AT THE TOP [transitive] a)to be at the top of a list or group of people or things: The movie heads the list of Oscar nominations. a good cast headed by John Malkovich b)be headed if a page is headed with a particular word or sentence, it has it on the top: The page was headed “Expenses.”5AT THE FRONT [transitive usually passive] to be at the front of a line of people: The march was headed by the Reverend Martin Luther King.6SOCCER [transitive] to hit the ball with your head, especially in soccerhead off phrasal verb1 to leave to go to another place: Where are you heading off to?2 head something ↔ off to prevent something from happening: The budget agreement headed off some painful spending cuts.3 head somebody ↔ off to stop someone from going somewhere by moving in front of him or her: Soldiers headed them off at the border.4head somebody off at the pass humorous to take action quickly in order to prevent someone from doing something that you do not want him or her to do noun | verb | adjective
headhead3 ●●○ adjective [only before noun, no comparative] most important, or highest in rank: the head coach the bank’s head office