header
B1Neutral, with specific technical registers in computing and football.
Definition
Meaning
A piece of text or a line, often containing a title, date, or page number, positioned at the top of a page or section.
A noun referring to the topmost part or introductory element of something; in football (soccer), the action of striking the ball with one's head; in computing, a block of data at the beginning of a file describing its contents.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word's meaning is highly context-dependent. In general documents, it's a formatting feature. In sports (soccer), it's an action. In construction, it refers to a structural beam. In computing, it's a metadata section.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In BrE, 'header' is the common term for the soccer action. In AmE, 'heading the ball' or just 'header' is used, but 'header' is less dominant in casual sports commentary. In computing and document formatting, usage is identical.
Connotations
In BrE, the football sense is primary in everyday conversation. In AmE, the document/computer sense is likely more frequent for the general population.
Frequency
The football sense is markedly more frequent in UK corpora. The general 'top part' sense is evenly distributed.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
add a header to [DOCUMENT]score with a header from [PLAYER'S NAME]configure the [FILE] headerthe header contains [INFORMATION]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[not applicable for this technical/sport term]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to the branded section at the top of a report, letter, or email containing company logo and contact details.
Academic
The top margin of a paper containing the author's name, page number, or running title, following specific style guide rules.
Everyday
Most commonly used for the top part of a webpage or a document; in the UK, also common in sports news.
Technical
In programming, a file (e.g., .h in C++) containing declarations; in networking, the preliminary part of a data packet.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The striker managed to header the ball into the net.
American English
- He headed the ball clear.
adverb
British English
- [Not commonly used as an adverb]
American English
- [Not commonly used as an adverb]
adjective
British English
- The header information is missing.
American English
- Check the header row in the spreadsheet.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look at the header at the top of the page.
- The football player used his head.
- Please add your name to the document header.
- He scored a fantastic header in the last minute.
- The website's header includes the navigation menu and logo.
- Her glancing header directed the ball perfectly into the corner.
- The protocol requires specific data in the packet header.
- The striker's towering header from the cross sealed the victory.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a **head**er sitting at the **head** of the page, just like your head is at the top of your body.
Conceptual Metaphor
TOP IS IMPORTANT/PRIORITY (The header contains key identifying information first). HEAD IS A TOOL FOR IMPACT (A football header uses the head as an instrument).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating the football 'header' as 'голова'—it's 'игра головой' or 'удар головой'.
- The computing 'header' is often 'заголовок' or 'шапка', but 'header file' is specifically 'заголовочный файл'.
- Do not confuse with 'headline' (заголовок в газете).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'header' to mean 'headline' in a newspaper (use 'headline').
- Pronouncing it as /hiːdə(r)/ (it's /hedə(r)/).
- In football: 'He made a header goal.' (Better: 'He scored with a header.').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'header' MOST LIKELY refer to a structural component?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, primarily in British football contexts (e.g., 'He headered it in'), though 'to head' is more standard. In most other contexts, it's a noun.
A 'header' is the formatted top section of a page or document. A 'heading' is a title for a specific section within the document's body (like 'Chapter 1').
A header file (e.g., in C/C++) contains function declarations and macro definitions to be shared between several source files, acting as an interface.
No. A 'header' in football is a controlled, legal play. A 'headbutt' is an aggressive strike with the head, typically outside of sports and implying violence.
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