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

• title
• caption
• heading
• headline

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

Gabby Provenzano rose at the near post and powered home a header from point-blank range in the 81st minute, assisted by Sabrina McNeill’s cross off a corner. —Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025

Sporting took the lead early thanks to Joveljic’s 15th goal of the 2025 season, a header flicked in at the near post. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2025

Because the header can be read, the system can wrap both types of data into internet-style packets and route them with existing protocols. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2025

The internal cable runs from the USB-C port on the Edge to a 10-pin USB internal header on your motherboard. —Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 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