Head Has More Meanings Than Almost Any English Word
A head is the top part of a body. The word branches into dozens of uses across every field.
A head is the upper part of a body containing the brain, and a great deal else. It is among the most heavily branched words in English: the head of a company, a river, a bed, a nail, a beer, a coin, a tape recorder and a page all descend from one image of the topmost or leading part. Dictionaries list dozens of senses, and new ones appear whenever something acquires a top or a leader. Latin *caput* did the same work, giving *capital*, *chief* and *chapter*.
- The upper body part. *A sore head.*
- A leader. *Head of department.*
- The top. *The head of the page.*
- A source. *The head of the river.*
- Old English — *heafod*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | head | A head. |
| Plural | heads | Heads. |
| Verb | head | Heading. |
| Compound | headline | A headline. |
| Old English | heafod | A head. |
- He shook his head.Body.
- She heads the department.Leader.
- The head of the valley.Top.
Head idioms
- Head over heels — logically backwards, since heels are normally below
- Keep your head — stay calm
- Come to a head — reach a crisis, from a ripening boil
- Off the top of your head — without preparation
- Head start — an advantage given before a race
Old English *heafod*, of Germanic origin, related to Latin *caput*.
Why does head have so many meanings?
Because the image of a topmost or leading part applies almost anywhere, so the word attaches to new objects readily.
Why is head over heels backwards?
It should describe an ordinary standing position. The phrase was originally heels over head and became reversed through use.