header

American  

[hed-er] / ˈhɛd ər /

noun

• headers
  plural

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.

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header British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• headers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of header

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

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Explanation

A header is a separate bit of text at the top of a printed page. A header might be the title of the novel you're reading, which is repeated on each page of the book. One kind of header — also called a "page header" — is a chapter title, which is often printed at the top of every page. It's called a header because it's printed at the top, or head, of the page. When you format a long paper for school, you may include page numbers as headers. In any case, a header is set apart from the main text of a document and is sometimes printed in a larger or bolder font.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

header headers

Things got even better when Lozano doubled the lead on a header just before halftime.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

His header also struck the post after taking a deflection off Moises Caicedo in a chaotic display.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

Amazon’s stock on Friday also took a header after the company reported higher than expected capital spending on AI and negative cash flow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Erling Haaland: Quiet in the first half but came to life in the second with a towering header to draw his side level.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Nothing was more important to my father than to get through the header and prove the Captain right.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

But Ronaldo's two late headers in a World Cup qualifying win over the Republic of Ireland in 2021 took him onto 111 goals.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Nikola Katic, back, and Switzerland midfielder Remo Freuler headers the ball.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026

Limiting headers would force better coaching and produce players who are more technical, creative and aware.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Doctors used to worry almost exclusively about concussions, but most headers don’t produce a concussion diagnosis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

After exercises, she laid out a line of small orange cones and ran the players through a series of drills: quick passes, headers, and chests.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

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