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overhead

[adverb oh-ver-hed; adjective, noun oh-ver-hed]
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adverb
  1. over one's head; aloft; up in the air or sky, especially near the zenith: There was a cloud overhead.
  2. so as to be completely submerged or deeply involved: to plunge overhead in water; to sink overhead in debt.
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adjective
  1. situated, operating, or passing above, aloft, or over the head: an overhead sprinkler system.
  2. of or relating to the general cost of running a business: overhead expenses; an overhead charge.
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noun
  1. 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.
  2. Accounting. that part of manufacturing costs for which cost per unit produced is not readily assignable.
  3. (in a hoistway) the distance between the last floor level served and the beam supporting the hoisting sheaves or machinery.
  4. (in racket sports) a stroke in which the ball or shuttlecock is hit with a downward motion from above the head; smash.
  5. an overhead compartment, shelf, etc.: Pillows are in the overhead above each passenger's seat.
  6. Also called overhead shot. Movies, Television. a shot in which the camera is positioned above the actors, especially directly overhead.
  7. a ceiling light in a room: Turn off the overheads when you leave.
  8. 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.
  9. Also called overhead projection. a picture or image projected in this manner: a lecture enhanced with overheads.
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Origin of overhead

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at over-, head
Related formsnon·o·ver·head, noun, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

projectorstereopticon
British Dictionary definitions for overhead projector

overhead projector

noun
  1. a projector that throws an enlarged image of a transparency onto a surface above and behind the person using it. Alterations and additions can be made to the material on the transparency while the projector is in use
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overhead

adjective (ˈəʊvəˌhɛd)
  1. situated or operating above head height or some other reference level
  2. (prenominal) inclusivethe overhead price included meals
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adverb (ˌəʊvəˈhɛd)
  1. over or above head height, esp in the sky
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noun (ˈəʊvəˌhɛd)
    1. a stroke in racket games played from above head height
    2. (as modifier)an overhead smash
  2. nautical the interior lining above one's head below decks in a vessel
  3. short for overhead door
  4. (modifier) of, concerned with, or resulting from overheadsoverhead costs
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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

Word Origin and History for overhead projector

overhead

1530s, "above one's head" (adv.), from over- + head. The adjective is attested from 1874. As a noun, short for overhead costs, etc., it is attested from 1914.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
overhead projector in Culture

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.

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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.