headrest

[ hed-rest ]
/ ˈhɛdˌrɛst /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR headrest ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a rest or support of any kind for the head.
Also called head restraint . a padded part at the top of the back of a seat, especially in an automobile, to protect one's head against whiplash in a collision.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.
to cause to be empty or unoccupied.
to assent tacitly; agree; consent.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of headrest

First recorded in 1850–55; head + rest1

Words nearby headrest

headquarters, headrace, headrail, headreach, head register, headrest, head restraint, head rhyme, headrig, headright, headroom
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to headrest

padding, cushion, buffer, mat, bolster, hassock, fender, rest, seat, sham, beanbag, squab, bumper, woolsack

Example sentences from the Web for headrest

  • He sat down in his chair, laid his head back in the headrest and pulled the helmet down over his forehead.

    The Game of Rat and Dragon|Cordwainer Smith

  • He was hurled back against the headrest with a force that filled his head with winking stars.

    Dave Dawson at Casablanca|Robert Sydney Bowen

  • Feather pillows and beds took the place of straw pallets with a log of wood for a headrest.

    Women of England, Volume 9 (of 10)|Burleigh James Bartlett

  • Eugene put his hand on ol man Dorts forehead an pushed him back into the headrest.

    Friar Tuck|Robert Alexander Wason

British Dictionary definitions for headrest

headrest
/ (ˈhɛdˌrɛst) /

noun

a support for the head, as on a dentist's chair or car seat
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