▸ head off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you head off a person, animal, or vehicle, you move to a place in front of them in order to capture them or make them change the direction they are moving in. □ [V n P ] He changed direction swiftly, turned into the hallway and headed her off. [Also V P n]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you head something off , especially something unpleasant, you take action before it is expected to happen in order to prevent it from happening. □ [V P n] He would ask Congress to intervene and head off a strike. □ [V n P ] You have to be good at spotting trouble on the way and heading it off.
▸ head up PHRASAL VERB The person who heads up a group, organization, or activity is the leader of it. □ [V P n] Judge Frederick Lacey headed up the investigation. □ [V n P ] Managing director Carol Richards heads it up now.
head|ache /he de I k/ (headaches )
1 N‑COUNT If you have a headache , you have a pain in your head. □ I have had a terrible headache for the last two days.
2 N‑COUNT If you say that something is a headache , you mean that it causes you difficulty or worry. □ The airline's biggest headache is the increase in the price of aviation fuel.
head|band /he dbænd/ (headbands ) also head band N‑COUNT A headband is a narrow strip of material which you can wear around your head across your forehead, for example to keep hair or sweat out of your eyes.
head|board /he dbɔː r d/ (headboards ) N‑COUNT A headboard is an upright board at the end of a bed where you lay your head.
hea d bo y (head boys ) N‑COUNT The head boy of a school is the boy who is the leader of the prefects and who often represents the school on public occasions. [BRIT ]
hea d-butt (head-butts , head-butting , head-butted ) also headbutt VERB If someone head-butts you, they hit you with the top of their head. □ [V n] He was said to have head-butted one police officer and stamped on another's hand. ● N‑COUNT Head-butt is also a noun. □ The cuts on Colin's head could only have been made by head-butts.
hea d count (head counts ) N‑COUNT If you do a head count , you count the number of people present. You can also use head count to talk about the number of people that are present at an event, or that an organization employs.
head|dress /he ddres/ (headdresses ) also head-dress N‑COUNT A headdress is something that is worn on a person's head for decoration.
head|er /he də r / (headers )
1 N‑COUNT In football, a header is the act of hitting the ball in a particular direction with your head.
2 N‑COUNT A header is text such as a name or a page number that can be automatically displayed at the top of each page of a printed document. Compare footer . [COMPUTING ]
hea d-fi rst also headfirst ADV [ADV after v] If you move head-first in a particular direction, your head is the part of your body that is furthest forward as you are moving. □ He had apparently fallen head-first down the stairwell.
head|gear /he dg I ə r / also head gear N‑UNCOUNT You use headgear to refer to hats or other things worn on the head.
hea d gi rl (head girls ) N‑COUNT The head girl of a school is the girl who is the leader of the prefects and who often represents the school on public occasions. [BRIT ]
head|hunt /he dhʌnt/ (headhunts , headhunting , headhunted ) VERB If someone who works for a particular company is headhunted , they leave that company because another company has approached them and offered them another job with better pay and higher status. □ [be V -ed] He was headhunted by Barkers last October to build an advertising team. □ [V n] They may headhunt her for the vacant position of Executive Producer.
head|hunter /he dhʌntə r / (headhunters ) also head-hunter N‑COUNT A headhunter is a person who tries to persuade someone to leave their job and take another job which has better pay and more status.
head|ing ◆◇◇ /he d I ŋ/ (headings )
1 N‑COUNT A heading is the title of a piece of writing, which is written or printed at the top of the page. □ …helpful chapter headings.
2 → see also head
head|lamp /he dlæmp/ (headlamps ) N‑COUNT A headlamp is the same as a headlight. [BRIT ]
head|land /he dlənd/ (headlands ) N‑COUNT A headland is a narrow piece of land which sticks out from the coast into the sea.
head|less /he dləs/ ADJ If the body of a person or animal is headless , the head has been cut off.
head|light /he dla I t/ (headlights ) N‑COUNT A vehicle's headlights are the large powerful lights at the front.
head|line ◆◇◇ /he dla I n/ (headlines , headlining , headlined )
1 N‑COUNT A headline is the title of a newspaper story, printed in large letters at the top of the story, especially on the front page. □ The Daily Mail has the headline 'The Voice of Conscience'.
2 N‑PLURAL The headlines are the main points of the news which are read on radio or television. □ I'm Claudia Polley with the news headlines.
3 VERB [usu passive] If a newspaper or magazine article is headlined a particular thing, that is the headline that introduces it. □ [be V -ed quote] The article was headlined 'Tell us the truth'. [Also V n quote]
4 VERB If someone headlines a show, they are the main performer in it.