overhead
over one's head; aloft; up in the air or sky, especially near the zenith: There was a cloud overhead.
so as to be completely submerged or deeply involved: to plunge overhead in water; to sink overhead in debt.
situated, operating, or passing above, aloft, or over the head: an overhead sprinkler system.
of or relating to the general cost of running a business: overhead expenses; an overhead charge.
the general, fixed cost of running a business, as rent, lighting, and heating expenses, which cannot be charged or attributed to a specific product or part of the work operation.
Accounting. that part of manufacturing costs for which cost per unit produced is not readily assignable.
(in a hoistway) the distance between the last floor level served and the beam supporting the hoisting sheaves or machinery.
(in racket sports) a stroke in which the ball or shuttlecock is hit with a downward motion from above the head; smash.
an overhead compartment, shelf, etc.: Pillows are in the overhead above each passenger's seat.
Also called overhead shot .Movies, Television. a shot in which the camera is positioned above the actors, especially directly overhead.
a ceiling light in a room: Turn off the overheads when you leave.
Also called overhead projector. a projector capable of projecting images above and behind the person operating it, thus allowing a lecturer or speaker to remain facing the audience while using it.
Also called overhead projection. a picture or image projected in this manner: a lecture enhanced with overheads.
Origin of overhead
1Other words from overhead
- non·o·ver·head, noun, adjective
Words Nearby overhead
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use overhead in a sentence
Whether you’re a late-night reader or prefer to illuminate your room without any overhead bulbs, a lamp can provide a function and be a creature comfort.
Bedside table lamps to brighten your sleep space | PopSci Commerce Team | September 15, 2020 | Popular-ScienceFor example, new software could give astronomers a heads up for when and where satellites are expected to pass overhead.
Satellite mega-constellations risk ruining astronomy forever | Neel Patel | September 2, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewWe also dispatch personnel to substations to assess and repair any issues that arise during the day, and utilize overhead and underground crews to assess and repair any issues.
Pepco employee talks diversity, inclusion, and COVID | Staff reports | August 28, 2020 | Washington BladeAstronomers would peer through an eyepiece to guide the telescope by hand, keeping up with the stars as they spun by overhead.
The company said it increased marketing investment by 270 basis points — or around $480 million — though this increase was partially offset by 230 basis points of overhead and marketing expense savings.
How the world’s biggest advertisers are spending (or not) as the pandemic grinds on | Lara O'Reilly | August 3, 2020 | Digiday
Twin buglers played “Taps” and three police helicopters flew overhead in the missing-man formation.
But they have high fixed costs—overhead, maintenance, staff, and power.
A Molotov cocktail tumbled in an arc overhead and erupted briefly in a blaze.
Mexican Protesters Look to Start a New Revolution | Jason McGahan | November 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTU.S. warplanes roaring overhead unleashed missiles and precision-guided bombs, but they could do nothing to solve this problem.
Bulbs strung among branches in the overhead wild hibiscus tree form a radiant canopy.
A Magical Meal at Louie’s Backyard in the Conch Republic | Jane & Michael Stern | July 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOut of the darkening sky rang the twanging call of a night-hawk, and the cluck of a dozing hen sounded from the foliage overhead.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydThe gigantic pylon, its shoulders breaking the sky four-square far overhead, seemed the prodigious portal of another world.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodThe long dry fingers of the palm trees rattled overhead, and looking up, he saw the divine light of the starry heavens.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodComing to a gate of red stone, Yung Pak asked the meaning of the carved arrow in the arch overhead.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeAnd the lead wire from the aerials, well grounded, was brought directly in from overhead and connected with the radio set.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn | Margaret Penrose
British Dictionary definitions for overhead
situated or operating above head height or some other reference level
(prenominal) inclusive: the overhead price included meals
over or above head height, esp in the sky
a stroke in racket games played from above head height
(as modifier): an overhead smash
nautical the interior lining above one's head below decks in a vessel
short for overhead door
(modifier) of, concerned with, or resulting from overheads: overhead costs
- See also overheads
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
Cultural definitions for overhead
All costs of running a business other than wages paid to production workers or payments for raw material to be used in production. Overhead includes the cost of renting or leasing a store in which business is transacted, the cost of heating a factory, and similar expenses.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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