head
A1Neutral; applicable in all registers from highly formal to informal.
Definition
Meaning
The upper part of the human body containing the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
The top, front, or leading part of something; a person in charge; a position of leadership or prominence.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A highly polysemous word with meanings extending from anatomy to leadership to the front/top of an object. Often used metaphorically ('head of the class', 'head of the river').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Some compound terms differ (e.g., 'head boy/head girl' more common in UK schools). The phrase 'head over heels' is slightly more common in AmE.
Connotations
Largely identical. 'Head' as a leader is slightly more formal in AmE business contexts (where 'boss' or 'director' may be preferred).
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both variants.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
head [noun phrase] (e.g., head the department)[noun phrase] head (e.g., department head)head for/towards [location]head [someone/something] offVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “head over heels in love”
- “keep your head”
- “off the top of your head”
- “bang your head against a brick wall”
- “put your heads together”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a leader or manager (e.g., 'Head of Sales').
Academic
Used in anatomy, linguistics (e.g., 'head of a phrase'), and management studies.
Everyday
Most common for the body part and basic leadership roles (e.g., 'head of the family').
Technical
In computing: the part of a disk or tape that reads data; in fluid dynamics: pressure head.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She will head the enquiry committee.
- We're heading to the pub.
- The footballer headed the ball into the net.
American English
- She will head the investigation committee.
- We're heading to the bar.
- The soccer player headed the ball into the goal.
adverb
British English
- The price is listed head first in the catalogue.
- (Rare; 'headfirst' is standard as adverb.)
American English
- The cost is listed head first in the catalog.
- (Rare; 'headfirst' is standard as adverb.)
adjective
British English
- He is the head chef.
- Take the head position in the line.
American English
- He is the head cook.
- Take the head position in line.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have a head.
- My head hurts.
- He is the head of our family.
- She shook her head to say no.
- Let's put our heads together and solve this problem.
- He was named head of the marketing team.
- The company is heading for a financial crisis if it doesn't change strategy.
- She has a good head for figures and complex calculations.
- The article went right over my head; it was too technical.
- The scandal threatened to bring down the party head, who had been in power for a decade.
- We need to head off these complaints before they escalate into a public relations disaster.
- He's been appointed to head up the new research initiative.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine the word HEAD at the TOP of the page, just like your head is at the TOP of your body.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE HEAD IS A CONTAINER FOR THOUGHTS/THE MIND; LEADERSHIP/IMPORTANCE IS BEING AT THE TOP/FRONT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'head' for 'chapter' (глава). In English, 'chapter head' is incorrect; use 'chapter' alone.
- Do not directly translate 'go to one's head' (ударить в голову) as an idiom for dizziness; it means 'to make someone conceited'.
- 'Head' as a verb (to head a company) is not always equivalent to 'возглавлять' in register; it can be more informal.
Common Mistakes
- *I have a pain in my head. (Better: I have a headache.)
- *He is the headmaster of the project. (Use 'head' or 'leader' for projects, 'headmaster' is for schools.)
- Confusing 'head to' (go towards) with 'head for' (inevitably encounter, often trouble).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'head' used as a verb?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily countable (one head, two heads). It can be uncountable in certain contexts like 'a lot of head' in brewing or 'several feet of head' in fluid dynamics.
'Head to' indicates a specific destination (head to London). 'Head for' can indicate a direction or, idiomatically, an inevitable negative outcome (head for trouble).
Yes, it's the standard term for the analogous body part in animals (a horse's head).
The standard plural is 'heads'. The form 'head' can be used as a plural in specific contexts, like counting animals (e.g., '50 head of cattle').
Collections
Part of a collection
Body and Health
A1 · 49 words · Parts of the body and basic health vocabulary.