Head

Head, hed, n. the uppermost or foremost part of an animal's body: the brain: the understanding: a chief or leader: the place of honour or command: the front or top of anything: an individual animal or person: a topic or chief point of a discourse: a title, heading: the source or spring: height of the source of water: highest point of anything: culmination: a cape: strength: a froth on beer, porter, &c., when poured into a glass.—v.t. to act as a head to, to lead or govern: to go in front of: to commence: to check: (naut.) to be contrary: (obs.) to behead.—v.i. to grow to a head: to originate: to go head foremost.—n. Head′ache, an internal pain in the head.—adj. Head′achy, afflicted with headaches.—ns. Head′band, a band or fillet for the head: the band at each end of a book: a thin slip of iron on the tympan of a printing-press; Head′-block, in a sawmill carriage, a cross-block on which the head of the log rests: a piece of wood in a carriage, connected with the spring and the perches, and joining the fore-gear and the hind-gear; Head′-board, a board placed at the head of anything, esp. a bedstead; Head′-boom, a jib-boom or a flying jib-boom; Head′bor′ough, an old term for the head of a borough, the chief of a frank pledge, tithing, or decennary; Head′-boy, the senior boy in a public school; Head′chair, a high-backed chair with a rest for the head; Head′-cheese, pork-cheese, brawn; Head′-chute, a canvas tube used to convey refuse matter from a ship's bows down to the water; Head′-cloth, a piece of cloth covering the head, wound round a turban, &c.; Head′-dress, an ornamental dress or covering for the head, worn by women.—p.adj. Head′ed, having a head: (Shak.) come to a head.—ns. Head′er, one who puts a head on something: a dive, head foremost, into water: a brick laid lengthwise along the thickness of a wall, serving as a bond: a heavy stone extending through the thickness of a wall; Head′-fast, a rope at the bows of a ship used to fasten it to a wharf, &c.; Head′-frame, the structure over a mine-shaft supporting the head-gear or winding machinery; Head′-gear, gear, covering, or ornament of the head; Head′-hunt′ing, the practice among the Dyaks of Borneo, &c., of making raids to procure human heads for trophies, &c.—adv. Head′ily.—ns. Head′iness; Head′ing, the act of furnishing with a head; that which stands at the head: material forming a head; Head′land, a point of land running out into the sea: a cape.—adj. Head′less, without a head.—ns. Head′-light, a light carried in front of a vessel, locomotive, or vehicle, as a signal, or for light; Head′-line, the line at the head or top of a page containing the folio or number of the page: (pl.) the sails and ropes next the yards (naut.).—adv. Head′long, with the head foremost or first: without thought, rashly: precipitately.—adj. rash: precipitous, steep.—adj. Head′-lugged (Shak.), lugged or dragged along by the head.—ns. Head′-man, a chief, a leader; Head′mark, a characteristic peculiar to a certain class; Head′-mas′ter, the principal master of a school; Head′-mold, the skull proper: (archit.) a moulding round or over the head of a door, &c.; Head′-money, a tax counted per head: a reward by the head for persons captured at sea, &c.: a reward for a proscribed outlaw's head.—adj. Head′most, most advanced, or forward.—ns. Head′-note, a note placed at the head of a chapter or page, esp. a condensed statement of points of law involved introductory to the report of a legal decision; Head′piece, a helmet: a hat: head, intelligence: (print.) a decorative engraving placed at the top of the first page of a volume, and at the beginning of books, chapters, &c.; Head′-pump, a small pump at a ship's bows to pump up sea-water for washing decks.—n.pl. Head′quarters, the quarters or residence of a commander-in-chief or general.—ns. Head′-race, the race which brings the water to a water-wheel; Head′-reach, the distance to windward made by a vessel while tacking.—v.i. to shoot ahead, in tacking.—ns. Head′-rest, a support for the head, esp. the adjustable apparatus of the barber's chair, and that used by the photographer to steady the sitter's head; Head′-ring, a palm-leaf ornament worn by Kaffir men in their hair after marriage; Head′-shake, a significant shake or motion of the head; Head′-ship, the office of a head or chief authority: dignity; Heads′man, a man who cuts off heads: an executioner; Head′stall, the part of a bridle round the head; Head′-stā′tion, the dwelling-house, &c., on an Australian sheep or cattle station; Head′-stick (print.), a straight piece of furniture placed at the head of a form, between the chase and the type; Head′stone, the principal stone of a building: the corner-stone: the stone at the head of a grave; Head′-stream, the highest of the streams which combine to form a river.—adj. Head′strong, self-willed: obstinate.—ns. Head′-tire, a head-dress; Head′-wa′ter, the highest part of a stream, before receiving affluents; Head′way, motion ahead, esp. of a ship; Head′-wind, a wind blowing right against a ship's head; Head′-word, a title word or heading usually in distinctive type; Head′-work, intellectual labour.—adj. Head′y, affecting the head or the brain: intoxicating: inflamed: rash: violent.—Head and ears, with the whole person: completely; Head and shoulders, very much, as if taller by a head and shoulders: violently; Head foremost, with the head first, esp. of falling from a height; Head or tail, the side of a coin with the sovereign's head, or the reverse: a phrase used in tossing up a coin to decide a point ('to make neither head nor tail of anything'—to be unable to understand it); Head over heels, in a somersault.—Come to a head, to reach a climax; Eat one's head off, to be consumed with mortification; Go by the head, to sink head foremost; Have a head on one's shoulders, to have brains or ability; Head off, to prevent by some counteraction; Lose one's head, to become very much excited: to lose presence of mind; Make head against, to resist successfully: to advance; Off one's head, demented, crazy; Out of one's own head, spontaneously; Over head and ears, deeply engrossed; Turn a person's head (see Turn). [A.S. héafod, Dut. hoofd, Ger. haupt.]