TKG English Learner's Dictionary

head

headnoun

American /hɛd/ British /hed/
plural heads
very commondefining vocabulary

The head is the top part of the body, and the word is also used for the mind inside it, for the person at the top of a group, and for the top or front of other things.

  1. part of the bodythe part of the body above the neck, where the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and brain are

    countable [C]

    Collocations

    verb + noun nod your head, shake your head, turn your head, raise your head, bow your head, hit your head
    adjective + noun a bald head, a shaved head
    noun + noun head injury, head cold
    preposition + noun on your head, over your head, above your head

    1. athe length of a head, used to compare how tall people are or how close a race was

  2. mindthe mind, as the place where thoughts are, or the ability to think clearly

    countable [C] usually singular [usu sing]

    Collocations

    preposition + noun in your head, inside your head
    verb + noun clear your head, get something into your head, get something out of your head, fill someone's head with something
    adjective + noun a clear head, a cool head, a level head, a good head for something

    Synonyms mind

    Compare brain (the brain is the organ; brains, informal, is intelligence)

  3. leaderthe person in charge of a group, a company, a school, or a department

    countable [C] often before another noun [before noun]

    Collocations

    noun + preposition the head of something
    noun + noun head coach, head chef, head office, head nurse, head waiter
    verb + noun become head of, be made head of, be named head of

    Synonyms leader; chief; boss

    Compare principal (the head of a school in American English); manager

    For translators (sense 3)

    Grammar trap As a title, head stands directly before a noun with no article: head coach, head of department, She is head of the school. Head teacher is British; the American word is principal.

  4. top or frontthe top or the front end of something, or the most important position in it

    countable [C] usually singular [usu sing]

    Collocations

    preposition + noun at the head of the line, at the head of the table, at the head of the list, at the head of the stairs

    Synonyms top; front

    Antonyms bottom; foot (the foot of the stairs or of a page is the bottom end)

  5. part of a toolthe wider or working part at one end of a tool or a similar object

    countable [C]

    Collocations

    noun + noun shower head, screw head
    noun + preposition the head of a hammer, the head of a nail, the head of a match

    1. athe round top part of a plant, formed by leaves or small flowers growing close together

      Collocations

      noun + preposition a head of lettuce, a head of cabbage, a head of garlic

    2. bthe white layer on top of a glass of beer just after it is poured

  6. each personeach person, when counting a cost or a number of people

    singular only [sing]

    Collocations

    phrase a head, per head

    1. aused after a number for counting farm animals, with the same form for one and for many

      agriculture

      • The farm keeps two hundred head of cattle.
      • Fifty head of sheep were sold at the market.

    For translators (sense 6)

    Grammar trap Head has no plural in these uses: ten dollars a head, fifty head of cattle. A head and per head follow the amount: the cost a head, not a head cost.

  7. of a cointhe side of a coin that shows a face or the main picture, which is one of the two choices when a coin is thrown to decide something

    countable [C] usually plural [usu pl]

    Collocations

    phrase heads or tails, call heads, come down heads

    Antonyms tail (tails is the other side)

    For translators (sense 7)

    Grammar trap The form is heads, and it takes a singular verb: Heads is my choice.

Phrases

head over heels

completely in love with someone

Usually head over heels in love. Fall head over heels can also mean fall so that the body turns right over.

keep your head

stay calm and able to think in a difficult situation

lose your head

become so worried, angry, or excited that you cannot think clearly

go to someone's head

make someone believe that they are more important than they are

Alcohol that goes to your head makes you feel drunk quickly.

laugh your head off informal

laugh very loudly and for a long time

The same pattern is used with other verbs: shout your head off, sing your head off, talk your head off.

from head to toe

over the whole body

put your heads together

think about a problem together in order to find an answer

use your head informal

think carefully and sensibly before you act

cannot make head or tail of something informal

cannot understand something at all

be in over your head

be involved in something that is too difficult for you to deal with

over someone's head

too difficult for someone to understand

Go over someone's head also means speak to a more senior person instead of the person you should deal with: She went over her manager's head and wrote to the director.

bite someone's head off informal

answer someone angrily for no good reason

keep your head above water

just manage to survive or continue, especially with money problems

head and shoulders above someone

much better than someone

turn heads

make people look at you because you look very good or unusual

come to a head

reach the point where something must be dealt with at once

get your head around something informal

manage to understand something difficult or surprising

have your head in the clouds

be thinking about dreams and not about real life

two heads are better than one

used to say that two people working on a problem will do better than one

bang your head against a brick wall informal

keep trying to do something without any success

heads will roll informal

people will be punished, usually by losing their jobs

keep your head down

keep quiet and out of sight, and get on with your work

hold your head high

show that you are proud and not ashamed of anything

have a good head on your shoulders

be sensible and able to make good decisions

head to head

directly against each other in a contest or an argument

Word family

  • head (be in charge of, or move toward)
  • heading
  • headline
  • headache
  • headphones
  • headquarters
  • headfirst
  • headlight
  • headband
  • headscarf
  • headstrong
  • heads up
  • head start
  • headway
  • headcount
  • headset
  • forehead
  • ahead
  • header
  • overhead
  • head teacher (British)

Choosing between head · boss · leader · manager · chief

Head is the person in charge of a school, a department, or a company, and is often part of a title: head of sales. Your boss is the person you work for; the word is informal. A leader is the person that a group, a party, or a country follows, whether chosen, appointed, or simply obeyed; the word is about influence more than about a job title. A manager runs a team, a shop, or a project. Chief appears mostly in fixed titles: chief of police, chief executive.

Usage

As a title, head comes before the noun without an article: head coach; She is head of the department. Head teacher and headmaster are British; American schools have a principal. Heads, the side of a coin, takes a singular verb: Heads is my choice.

See also neck; brain

For translators

Meaning across languages Other languages may use the body word for some of these senses, the mind, the leader, or the top, but rarely for all: the head of a company may be a director, and the head of a table or a page may need the word for end or top. Heads (coin) and a head (per person) usually need separate words.
Grammar trap In counting uses head has no plural: a head taller, fifty head of cattle, ten dollars a head. Before a noun it works like an adjective and takes no article: head coach, head office.
Cultural background Nodding the head means yes and shaking it from side to side means no in English-speaking countries; in some other cultures these movements have different meanings, so the collocations nod and shake need care.
Pronunciation trap The vowel is the short e of bed, although the spelling ea usually stands for the long vowel of eat; bread, dead, and ready follow the same pattern.