against the head Definition

head
noun

1. The uppermost or foremost part of an animal's body, containing the brain and the organs of sight, smell, hearing and taste.

Thesaurus: skull, brain, cranium, crown, pate, scalp, noggin (slang), noodle (US slang), bean (US slang).
2. The head thought of as the seat of intelligence, imagination, ability, etc.

Example: Use your head
Example: You need a good head for heights
Thesaurus: intelligence, aptitude, mentality, mind, bean (US slang).
3. Something like a head in form or function, eg the top of a tool.
4. The person with the most authority in an organization, country, etc.

Thesaurus: ruler, leader, boss, supervisor, commander, director, manager; Antonym: subordinate.
5. The position of being in charge.
6. colloq
A head teacher or principal teacher.
7. The top or upper part of something, eg a table or bed.
8. The highest point of something.

Example: the head of the pass
Thesaurus: top, crest, peak, summit, apex, acme, height, vertex.
9. The front or forward part of something, eg a queue.
10. The foam on top of a glass of beer, lager, etc.
11. The top part of a plant which produces leaves or flowers.
12. A culmination or crisis.

Example: Things came to a head
Thesaurus: climax, crisis, turning point, culmination, end, conclusion.
13. The pus-filled top of a boil or spot.
head
14. A person, animal or individual considered as a unit.

Example: 600 head of cattle
Example: The meal cost £10 a head
15. colloq
A headache.
16. The source of a river, lake, etc.

Thesaurus: beginning, start, source, fore, front, origin.
17. The height or length of a head, used as a measurement.

Example: He won by a head
Example: She's a head taller than her brother
18. A headland.

Example: Beachy Head
19a. ) the height of the surface of a liquid above a specific point, especially as a measure of the pressure at that point;

Example: a head of six metres
19b. Water pressure, due to height or velocity, measured in terms of a vertical column of water;
19c. Any pressure.

Example: a full head of steam
20. An electromagnetic device in a tape recorder, video recorder, computer, etc for converting electrical signals into the recorded form on tapes or disks, or vice versa, or for erasing recorded material.
21. The side of a coin bearing the head of a monarch, etc. Compare tails at tail noun 7.

Form: heads
22. A headline or heading.

Form: heads (often)
23. A main point of an argument, discourse, etc.
24. naut., slang
A ship's toilet.
Form: heads (often)
25. The taut membrane of a tambourine, drum, etc.
26. colloq
A drug-user, especially one who takes LSD or cannabis. Usually in compounds.
Example: acid head
Example: smack head
27. mining.
An underground passage for working the coal.
28. The final point of a route. Also in compounds.

Example: railhead
29a. For or belonging to the head;

Example: headband
Example: head cold
29b. Chief; principal;

Example: head gardener
Thesaurus: chief, dominant, first, foremost, leading, main, top, preeminent, premier, principal, supreme.
29c. At, or coming from, the front.

Example: head wind

verb headed, heading

1. To be at the front of or top of something.

Example: to head the queue
2. To be in charge of it, or in the most important position.

Thesaurus: lead, command, direct, govern, guide, point, manage, oversee, supervise.
Form: head up something (often)
tr & intr
3. To move or cause to move in a certain direction.

Example: They are heading for home
Thesaurus: aim for, direct towards, gravitate towards, make for, point to, steer for, turn for, zero in on.
Form: head for somewhere (often)
tr & intr
4. To turn or steer (a vessel) in a particular direction.

Example: They headed into the wind
5. To provide with or be (a headline or heading) at the beginning of a chapter, top of a letter, etc.
6. football.
To hit (the ball) with one's head.
7a. To chop off the top branches or shoots of a plant, etc;
intr
7b. Said of a plant, etc: to form a head.
intr
8. Said of streams, rivers, etc: to originate or rise.

Idiom: above one's head (over one's head)

Too difficult for one to understand.

Idiom: against the head

Said of the ball in a rugby scrum, or of the scrum itself: won by the team not putting the ball in.

Idiom: bang one's head against a brick wall

To try in vain to make someone understand something, agree with your point of view, etc

Idiom: bite someone's head off (snap someone's head off)

To speak sharply to them.

Idiom: bring to a head (come to a head)

To reach or cause to reach a climax or crisis.

Idiom: give a horse its head

To let it go where, and as quickly as, it chooses.

Idiom: give head

coarse slang
To perform oral sex.

Idiom: give someone his head (give someone her head)

To allow them to act freely and without restraint.

Idiom: go to one's head

Said of alcoholic drink: to make one slightly intoxicated.

Said of praise, success, etc: to make one conceited.

Idiom: have a good head on one's shoulders

To be sensible, have ability, etc.

Idiom: have one's head in the clouds

To be inattentive to what is said.

To have impractical or unrealistic thoughts, ideas, etc.

Idiom: have one's head screwed on (the right way)

To be sensible, bright, etc.

Idiom: head and shoulders

By a considerable amount; to a considerable degree.
Example: He's head and shoulders above his competitors

Idiom: headfirst

Moving especially quickly with one's head in front or bent forward.

Without thinking; rashly.
Thesaurus: hastily, rashly, recklessly, impetuously, precipitately, pell-mell, helter-skelter.

Idiom: head over heels

Rolling over completely with the head first.

Completely.
Example: He's head over heels in love
Thesaurus: completely, entirely, unreservedly, thoroughly, utterly, wholeheartedly, recklessly, wildly, uncontrollably.

Idiom: hold up one's head

To be unashamed.

Idiom: keep one's head

To remain calm and sensible in a crisis.

Idiom: keep one's head above water

To manage to cope with problems, especially financial ones.

Idiom: lose one's head

To become angry, excited or act foolishly, particularly in a crisis.
Thesaurus: take leave of one's senses, go mad, become angry, become excited, rave, lose one's cool (slang).

Idiom: not get it into one's head

To be unable to come to terms with or understand something.

Idiom: not make head or tail of something

To not understand it.

Idiom: off one's head

colloq
Mad; crazy.

Idiom: off one's (own) head

At one's (own) risk or responsibility.

Idiom: off the top of one's head

colloq
Without much thought or calculation.

Idiom: on your etc own head be it

You etc will bear the full responsibility for your, etc actions.

Idiom: out of one's head

colloq
Mad, crazy.

Of one's own invention.

Idiom: over someone's head

Without considering the obvious candidate.
Example: He was promoted over the head of his supervisor

Referring to a higher authority without consulting the person in the obvious position.
Example: She complained to the director, over the head of the managing editor

Too difficult for them to understand.
Example: Her jokes are always over my head

Idiom: put one's head on the block

To stick one's neck out, running the risk of censure, etc.

Idiom: put our heads together (put your heads together, put their heads together)

To consult together.

Idiom: take it into one's head (get it into one's head)

To decide to do something, usually foolishly.

To come to believe something, usually wrongly.

Idiom: turn someone's head

To make them vain and conceited.

To attract their attention.
Example: Those rubber shorts will turn a few heads

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon heafod.

Phrasal Verb: head off

To leave
Example: I want to head off before it gets too dark.

Phrasal Verb: head someone or something off

To get ahead of them so as to intercept them and force them to turn back
Example: We managed to head off the rams.

Phrasal Verb: head something off

To prevent or hinder it
Example: We wish to head off possible unrest.