headache

[ hed-eyk ]
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noun
  1. a pain located in the head, as over the eyes, at the temples, or at the base of the skull.

  2. an annoying or bothersome person, situation, activity, etc.

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Origin of headache

1
before 1000; Middle English; Old English hēafodece.See head, ache

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How to use headache in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for headache

headache

/ (ˈhɛdˌeɪk) /


noun
  1. pain in the head, caused by dilation of cerebral arteries, muscle contraction, insufficient oxygen in the cerebral blood, reaction to drugs, etc: Technical name: cephalalgia

  2. informal any cause of worry, difficulty, or annoyance

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for headache

headache

[ hĕdāk′ ]


  1. Pain in the head, caused by stimulation of or pressure to any of various structures of the head, such as tissue covering the cranium, cranial nerves, or blood vessels. Headache can be a primary disorder, as in migraine or cluster headaches, or a common symptom associated with head injury or many illnesses such as acute infection, brain tumor or abscess, eye disorders such as glaucoma, dental disease, and hypertension. See also cluster headache migraine.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.