header

[hed-er]

noun

1. a person or thing that removes or puts a head on something.

2. a reaping machine that cuts off and gathers only the heads of the grain.

3. a chamber to which the ends of a number of tubes are connected so that water or steam may pass freely from one tube to the other.

4. Automotive.,  an exhaust manifold.

5. Building Trades.

   1. a brick or stone laid in a wall or the like so that its shorter ends are exposed or parallel to the surface.

   2. a framing member crossing and supporting the ends of joists, studs, or rafters so as to transfer their weight to parallel joists, studs, or rafters.

6. Informal.,  a plunge or dive headfirst, as into water.

   He stumbled and took a header into the ditch.

7. Soccer.,  a pass or shot made by heading the ball.

8. a sign that is part of or attached to the top of a rack displaying merchandise.

9. Computers.,  a line of information placed at the top of a page for purposes of identification.

header

/ ˈhɛdə /

noun

1. Also called: header tank. a reservoir, tank, or hopper that maintains a gravity feed or a static fluid pressure in an apparatus

2. a manifold for distributing a fluid supply amongst a number of passages

3. a machine that trims the heads from castings, forgings, etc, or one that forms heads, as in wire, to make nails

4. a person who operates such a machine

5. a brick or stone laid across a wall so that its end is flush with the outer surface Compare stretcher

6. the action of striking a ball with the head

7. informal,  a headlong fall or dive

8. computing

   1. a block of data on a tape or disk providing information about the size, location, etc, of a file

   2. ( as modifier )

      header card

      header label

9. dialect,  a mentally unbalanced person

Word History and Origins

Origin of header¹

First recorded in 1400–50, header is from the late Middle English word heder. See head, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Amid the site rewrite, one header remained: "Vaccines do not cause Autism."

Read more on Barron's

“The header ‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ has not been removed due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The bottom of the CDC webpage now says that the header “Vaccines do not cause autism” remains on the site with an asterisk because of “an agreement” with Cassidy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Arsenal fell behind on a bitterly cold night at Meadow Park to Scotland international Caroline Weir's goal just before half-time, but Russo rescued the Gunners with a pair of second-half headers.

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The Jamaicans hit the the woodwork three times in the second half, with substitute Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri going agonizingly close with a header that crashed off the post in the 87th minute.

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Related Words

• dunk