heads or tails

Save This Word!

See synonyms for heads or tails on Thesaurus.com

noun

a gambling game in which a coin is tossed, the winner being the player who guesses which side of the coin will face up when it lands or is caught.

the tossing of a coin in this manner to determine a question or choice.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of heads or tails

First recorded in 1675–85

Words nearby heads or tails

head shop, headshot, headshrinker, headsman, head smut, heads or tails, headspace, headspring, headsquare, headstall, headstand

How to use heads or tails in a sentence

As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Employees strap a device to their heads and power a helicopter drone with their minds.
Use Your Brain—Control a Drone|The Daily Beast Video|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Other footage shows him fleeing, keeping to a quick walk, jogging briefly, then walking again as he heads for a subway station.
Exclusive: Inside a Cop-Killer’s Final Hours|Michael Daly|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Both the Ramos sons squeezed their eyes and lowered their heads, doing their best not to cry.
Choking Back Tears, Thousands of Cops Honor Fallen Officer Ramos|Michael Daly|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

They keep their heads low while running behind a large curtain covering the opening between two housing blocks.
The Brothers Who Ambushed ISIS|Mohammed A. Salih|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Alessandro walked at the horses' heads, his face sunk on his breast, his eyes fixed on the ground.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
There are five general heads under which the characteristics to be sought may be grouped.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Their heads might have been turned upside-down, so absolutely did they tread upon blue ether.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
All night long they expected to hear the roar of the pursuing guns, to find the sabers of the Dragoons flashing over their heads.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
It was a cloudy, stormy evening: high wind was blowing, and the branches of the trees groaned and creaked above our heads.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

Other Idioms and Phrases with heads or tails

heads or tails

An expression used when tossing a coin to decide between two alternatives, as in Let's just flip a coin to decide who pays—do you want heads or tails? Each person involved chooses a different side of the coin, either “heads” or “tails,” and whichever side lands facing up is considered the winner. This usage, dating from the late 1600s, is sometimes turned into Heads I win, tails you lose, meaning “I win no matter what,” which probably originated in an attempt to deceive someone. [Mid-1800s]

heads or tails

Origin of heads or tails

Words nearby heads or tails

Words related to heads or tails

How to use heads or tails in a sentence

Other Idioms and Phrases with heads or tails