headbutt

noun

head·​butt ˈhed-ˌbət 

variants or head-butt or head butt

plural headbutts or head-butts or head butts

: a violent blow with the forehead or crown of the head especially into the face or head of another person

I took the offensive next, figuring a headbutt to the bridge of his nose would be a strategic response …

—Corwin Ericson

A fearless former BMX racer … , McEwen uses elbows, shoulders and an occasional head butt to fight for position in the sprint.

—Michael Henson

headbutt verb, transitive + intransitive

or head-butt

headbutted or head-butted; headbutting or head-butting; headbutts or head-butts

When Mr. Bartle got up, Gordon headbutted him, breaking his nose and leaving him needing an operation …

—Rob Kennedy

It has been awhile since Dennis Rodman head-butted Chicago's Stacey King and was ejected from a game …

—Joe Menzer

Ordinary soccer brutes head-butt to break an opponent's nose.

—Time

headbutter noun

or head-butter

plural headbutters or head-butters

The others, skinny kids from Leeds, were headbutters and kickers and they got into a corner and took out several locals before Cashin … got there.

—Peter Temple

Examples of headbutt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To substitute it out with the volcanic intensity of absinthe is like expecting a kiss and getting a headbutt, but this was, nonetheless, the foundation of an idea that became one of the most famous cocktails from one of the best bars in the world. —Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2024

The rivalry began in 1993, when John Starks’ headbutt of Reggie Miller in Game 3 sparked what would become one the more contentious battles in the league. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 May 2024

Francona, who jokingly complained of a sore neck from Naylor’s headbutt while talking to reporters, praised the 25 year old for changing his approach once Cotton (2-2, 3.66) got to two strikes in the count. —Joe Noga, cleveland, 29 June 2022

But Pulido’s 29th-minute red card for a headbutt on Cincinnati center back Yerson Mosquera flipped the match. —The Enquirer, 24 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above