Standard Lemma guide

header

noun · verb · 26 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: hĕd'ər
  • General-American: /ˈhɛdɚ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈhɛdə/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛdə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: HH EH1 D ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The upper portion of a page (or other) layout.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • If you reduce the header of this document, the body will fit onto a single page.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Text, or other visual information, used to mark off a quantity of text, often titling or summarizing it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Your header is too long; "Local Cannibals" will suffice.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: head, heading

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Text, or other visual information, that goes at the top of a column of information in a table.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • That column should have the header "payment status".

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A font, text style, or typesetting used for any of the above.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • Parts of speech belong in a level-three header. Level-two headers are reserved for the name of the language.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The first part of a file or record that describes its contents.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • The header includes an index, an identifier, and a pointer to the next entry.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Clipping of header file.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, clipping

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, programming, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the first part of a packet or stream, often containing its address and descriptors.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, networking, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • The encapsulation layer adds an eight-byte header and a two-byte trailer to each packet.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A brick that is laid sideways (on its largest face), for example at the top of a wall or within the brickwork, with its smallest side showing (oriented so that that side is wider than it is tall).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, construction, manufacturing, masonry

Examples

  • This wall has four header courses.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bonder, coping, cope

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lintel

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A machine that separates and gathers the heads of grain etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • They fed the bale into the header.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

The act of hitting the ball with the head.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, soccer, sports

Examples

  • His header for the goal followed a perfect corner kick.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

Someone who heads the ball.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, soccer, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

A headlong fall, jump or dive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The clown tripped over the other clown and took a header.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

A raised tank that supplies water at constant pressure, especially to a central heating and hot water system; a header tank.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

noun

Meaning 15

A pipe which connects several smaller pipes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Common practice is to use plastic pipes with iron headers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

noun

Meaning 16

The rodeo performer who drives the steer toward the heeler to be tied.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

noun

Meaning 17

One who puts a head on something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

noun

Meaning 18

A headcase; a nutjob (mentally unbalanced, unpredictable person).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Ireland, derogatory

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

19

verb

Meaning 19

To strike (a ball) with one's head.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

20

noun

Meaning 20

a headlong jump (or fall)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he took a header into the shrubbery

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: jump, jumping

21

noun

Meaning 21

(soccer) the act of hitting the ball with your head

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hit, hitting, striking

22

noun

Meaning 22

a machine that cuts the heads off grain and moves them into a wagon

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: harvester, reaper

23

noun

Meaning 23

a framing member crossing and supporting the ends of joists, studs, or rafters so as to transfer their weight to parallel joists, studs, or rafters

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beam

24

noun

Meaning 24

brick that is laid sideways at the top of a wall

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: coping, cope

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: brick

25

noun

Meaning 25

horizontal beam used as a finishing piece over a door or window

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lintel

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beam

26

noun

Meaning 26

a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the heading seemed to have little to do with the text

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heading, head

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: line

Narrower terms: crossheading, crosshead, headline, newspaper headline, lemma, rubric, running head, running headline, subheading, subhead, title, statute title

History

Etymology

Etymology tree substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap-? Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *káput Proto-Germanic *haubudą Old English hēafod Middle English heed English head Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English header From head + -er.

Across languages

Translations

103 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: заглавен ред (zaglaven red) — upper portion of a page layout
  • Czech: záhlaví — upper portion of a page layout
  • Dutch: kop — upper portion of a page layout
  • Estonian: päis — upper portion of a page layout
  • Finnish: ylätunniste — upper portion of a page layout
  • French: en-tête — upper portion of a page layout
  • German: Kopfzeile — upper portion of a page layout
  • Greek: κεφαλίδα (kefalída) — upper portion of a page layout
  • Greek: κεφαλάρι (kefalári) — upper portion of a page layout
  • Hungarian: fejléc — upper portion of a page layout
  • Hungarian: élőfej — upper portion of a page layout
  • Indonesian: tajukan — upper portion of a page layout
  • Indonesian: kop — upper portion of a page layout
  • Italian: intestazione — upper portion of a page layout
  • Japanese: ヘッダー (heddā) — upper portion of a page layout
  • Latvian: galvene — upper portion of a page layout
  • Macedonian: заглавие (zaglavie) — upper portion of a page layout
  • Malay: pengepala — upper portion of a page layout
  • Polish: nagłówek — upper portion of a page layout
  • Portuguese: cabeçalho — upper portion of a page layout
  • Russian: заголо́вок (zagolóvok) — upper portion of a page layout
  • Russian: ве́рхний колонти́тул (vérxnij kolontítul) — upper portion of a page layout
  • Russian: хе́дер m) (xɛ́dɛr) — upper portion of a page layout
  • Serbo-Croatian: zaglavlje — upper portion of a page layout
  • Spanish: encabezado — upper portion of a page layout
  • Spanish: encabezamiento — upper portion of a page layout
  • Spanish: cabecera — upper portion of a page layout
  • Turkish: başlık — upper portion of a page layout
  • Turkish: antet — upper portion of a page layout
  • Czech: hlava — text used to mark off a quantity of text
  • Finnish: otsake — text used to mark off a quantity of text
  • French: chapeau — text used to mark off a quantity of text
  • Greek: κεφαλίδα (kefalída) — text used to mark off a quantity of text
  • Japanese: ヘッダー (heddā) — text used to mark off a quantity of text
  • Russian: заголо́вок (zagolóvok) — text used to mark off a quantity of text
  • Swedish: rubrik — text used to mark off a quantity of text
  • Catalan: capçalera — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Finnish: otsake — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • French: en-tête — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • French: header — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • German: Kopfzeile — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • German: Header — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Greek: κεφαλίδα (kefalída) — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Indonesian: tajukan — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Indonesian: kop — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Italian: header — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Japanese: ヘッダ (hedda) — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Malay: pengepala — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Māori: pane — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Portuguese: cabeçalho — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Spanish: cabecera — computing: the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
  • Czech: vazák — brick that is laid sideways
  • Finnish: sidetiili — brick that is laid sideways
  • French: boutisse — brick that is laid sideways
  • Polish: cegła wiążąca — brick that is laid sideways
  • Polish: główka — brick that is laid sideways
  • Russian: тычо́к (tyčók) — brick that is laid sideways
  • Swedish: bindare — brick that is laid sideways
  • Swedish: koppsten — brick that is laid sideways
  • Czech: překlad — horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening
  • Finnish: kamana — horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening
  • French: linteau — horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening
  • Greek: κεφαλάρι (kefalári) — horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening
  • Greek: ανώφλι (anófli) — horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening
  • Swedish: överstycke — horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening
  • Bulgarian: хедер (heder) — machine that cuts the heads off of grain
  • Finnish: leikkuupöytä — machine that cuts the heads off of grain
  • Russian: жа́тка (žátka) — machine that cuts the heads off of grain
  • Russian: хе́дер (xɛ́dɛr) — machine that cuts the heads off of grain
  • Swedish: skördemaskin — machine that cuts the heads off of grain
  • Czech: skok po hlavě — headlong fall or jump
  • Finnish: hyppy pää edellä — headlong fall or jump
  • Greek: κουτουλιά (koutouliá) — headlong fall or jump
  • Greek: κεφαλιά (kefaliá) — headlong fall or jump
  • Italian: caduta di testa — headlong fall or jump
  • Italian: tuffo — headlong fall or jump
  • Polish: skok na główkę — headlong fall or jump
  • Swedish: dykning — headlong fall or jump
  • Swedish: huvudhopp — headlong fall or jump
  • Arabic: رَأْسِيَّة (raʔsiyya) — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Catalan: cop de cap — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Czech: hlavička — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Dutch: kopbal — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Finnish: pukkaus — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Finnish: pusku — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • French: tête — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • German: Kopfball — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Greek: κεφαλιά (kefaliá) — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Icelandic: skalli — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Indonesian: sundul — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Italian: colpo di testa — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Japanese: ヘディング (hedingu) — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Korean: 헤딩 (heding) — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Korean: 머리받기 (meoribatgi) — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Māori: tukirae — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Polish: główka — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Portuguese: cabeçada — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Russian: уда́р голово́й (udár golovój) — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Spanish: cabezazo — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Spanish: testarazo — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Swedish: nick — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Swedish: skalle — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
  • Welsh: peniad — soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
Real reading context

header in complete knowledge articles