# header

/ˈhɛdɝ/ (US) · /hˈɛdɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/header
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. document top

noun · CEFR B1

the area at the top of a page that often contains the title or page number.

For teachers: the upper portion of a page layout, typically containing recurring information such as titles, dates, or pagination.

- Please make sure your name and the date are in the header of every page.
- The corporate style guide requires the company logo to be aligned to the left within the document header on all official correspondence.

### 2. sports move

noun · CEFR B1

the act of hitting a ball with your head, usually in a game of football.

For teachers: the action of striking a ball with the head to pass, clear, or score.

- He scored a fantastic goal with a powerful header in the last minute.
- The defender's perfectly timed header cleared the ball from the penalty area, preventing a certain goal during the final minutes of the match.

### 3. computing data

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the first part of a computer file or message that explains what is inside.

For teachers: the initial part of a data packet, file, or stream containing metadata, addresses, or descriptors.

- The email header contains information about the sender and the servers it passed through.
- If the HTTP header is incorrectly configured, the browser may fail to render the content or might encounter security certificate errors.

### 4. a fall

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a fall or dive where your head goes forward first.

For teachers: a headlong fall, jump, or dive, often used in the phrase 'to take a header'.

- He tripped over the rug and took a header into the laundry basket.
- The cyclist took a nasty header over the handlebars after hitting a deep pothole on the descent.

### 5. unpredictable person

noun · CEFR C2 · Dialect · Informal

a person who acts in a crazy or unpredictable way.

For teachers: a person perceived as mentally unbalanced, eccentric, or highly unpredictable.

- Don't mind him, he's a bit of a header when he's had a few drinks.
- The locals warned us that the old man living on the hill was a total header who would shout at anyone passing his gate.

Usage: Commonly used in Hiberno-English (Ireland).

Teaching tip: This is a regional term used in Ireland; it can be affectionate among friends but is often derogatory when used about strangers.

### 6. to hit with the head

verb · CEFR B2

to hit a ball with your head.

For teachers: to strike a ball using the head, typically in a sporting context. Transitive use.

- The striker managed to header the ball into the corner of the net.
- The coach spent the afternoon teaching the youth players how to safely header the ball without risking neck injury.

## Examples

- Please include your name in the header of every page.
- The website's header contains the main navigation menu and the company logo for easy access.
- The software failed to process the incoming data because the packet header was corrupted during transmission, preventing the system from identifying the file type.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.