header

noun

head·​er ˈhe-dər 

1

: one that removes heads

especially : a grain-harvesting machine that cuts off the grain heads and elevates them to a wagon

2

a

: a brick or stone laid in a wall with its end toward the face of the wall

b

: a beam fitted at one side of an opening to support free ends of floor joists, studs, or rafters

c

: a horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening : lintel

d

: a conduit (such as an exhaust pipe for a many-cylindered engine) into which a number of smaller conduits open

e

: a mounting plate through which electrical terminals pass from a sealed device (such as a transistor)

3

: a fall or dive headfirst

took a header into the pool

4

: a shot or pass in soccer made by heading the ball

5

a

: head sense 15a(1)

b

: information (such as a page number) printed or placed at the top of each page of a document compare footer sense 2

Synonyms

• caption
• head
• heading
• headline
• rubric
• title

Examples of header in a Sentence

She tripped on the rock and took a header.

He scored with a header past the goalie.

Recent Examples on the Web

This system must alert your personnel to unauthorized changes or tampering across your scripts and security-impacting HTTP headers. —Ed Leavens, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Messi nearly delivered a third goal for his club and second for him in the 99th minute on a header off a cross from Suarez, but Blake smothered the attempt. —Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2025

For instance, in a recent clash against Man City, her second-half substitutions, notably introducing Erin Cuthbert to the proceedings, transformed the game as Cuthbert’s last-minute header secured a 2-1 victory. —Julia Ranney, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

The bizarre chain of events started with Donnarumma producing an exceptional one-handed save to claw striker Tim Kleindienst’s twisting header behind for a corner. —Stuart James, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing header

• triple-header

Rhymes for header

• cheddar
• pedder
• redder
• shredder
• spreader

Kids Definition

header

noun

head·​er ˈhed-ər 

: a fall or dive headfirst

took a header downstairs