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headland

American  
[hed-luhnd] / ˈhɛd lənd /

noun

  • headlands
    plural
  1. a promontory extending into a large body of water.

  2. a strip of unplowed land at the ends of furrows or near a fence or border.


headland British  

noun

  1. a narrow area of land jutting out into a sea, lake, etc

  2. a strip of land along the edge of an arable field left unploughed to allow space for machines

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of headland

before 1000; Middle English hedeland, Old English hēafodland. See head, land


Vocabulary lists containing headland

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

An Ceann Mor - which means large headland in Gaelic - was opened by the Scottish government's then rural affairs minister Richard Lochhead.

From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2026

A handwritten label indicated she had been found near the Beachy Head headland sometime in the 1950s, but little additional information was available.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2026

Perhaps he deserves the title “the father of smog,” for he called the place “the bay of smokes,” probably from the signal fires the Native Americans built atop the headland.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2024

A rust-colored dome looms over the muddy farmland of Hinkley Point, a headland overlooking the Bristol Channel in southwest England.

From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 2024

On the other side of the narrow gap that led into the open sea was another high headland.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

The very windiest conditions are expected on coastal headlands in north and west Cornwall - exposed to the north-westerly gales - but gusts of up to 70mph could occur even in inland areas.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

The Santa Cruz headlands rise to the west.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2023

Exposed coasts and headlands could experience stronger winds.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2023

From Bowman Bay, both Lighthouse Point to the south and Rosario Head to the north offer short trails out to headlands with panoramic saltwater views and postcard-worthy sunsets.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 1, 2022

This campground lay on the headlands that overlooked the water, near the small beach.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

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