headrest

American  

[hed-rest] / ˈhɛdˌrɛst /

noun

1. a rest or support of any kind for the head. heads.

2. 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 heads against whiplash in a collision.

---

headrest British  

/ ˈhɛdˌrɛst /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of headrest

First recorded in 1850–55; head + rest ¹

Example Sentences

They come through speakers in the driver’s seat headrest, while the song or podcast keeps playing everywhere else.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

One of the nicest touches has the gamers getting in an actual car and banging against the headrest as they accelerate — something that doesn't happen at a computer monitor.

From Salon • Aug. 24, 2023

“What about the headrest, what about all the cargo I stick in my trunk?”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2023

“It’s just when I had my head in the headrest and there’s that movement, that bothers me.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2023

I let my head drop onto the headrest and kind of melted into the seat.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Related Words

• buffer
• mat