heads

American

[hedz] / hɛdz /

adjective

(of a coin) with the top, or obverse, facing up.

On the first toss, the coin came up heads.

heads British

/ hɛdz /

interjection

with the obverse side of a coin uppermost, esp if it has a head on it: used as a call before tossing a coin Compare tails
informal people in authority

"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

Etymology

Origin of heads

First recorded in 1675–85; head + -s ¹

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.

President Trump’s pick to run the Federal Reserve heads to Capitol Hill tomorrow for his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Banking Committee.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

He also heads the project "Direct and In-Line Filtration for the Removal of Microplastics from Drinking Water," which is funded by FAPESP.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

Clark, who heads up the California Hospice and Palliative Care Assn., has been struggling to get clarity on the issue.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

The crew is awaiting analysis on the root causes of the problem, but Wiseman said the engineers who made the toilet shouldn’t hang their heads low.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

There were pieces that looked as if they belonged in the Middle Ages, dresses covered in lace and golden thread, feather boas, jackets covered in stripes, canes with metal heads, robes fit for Merlin himself.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023