Word
overhead
Phoneticsover·head
/ˈoʊvɝˈhɛd/
Definitions
01above you
B1 · Intermediate
adv. above your head or in the sky.
adv. in a location directly above the observer or in the sky.
Español:en lo alto
“A large bird circled slowly overhead in the clear blue sky.”
“The thunder rumbled directly overhead, shaking the windows of the old house and startling the residents.”
Antonyms
02located above
B1 · Intermediate
adj. placed or happening above you.
adj. situated or occurring above the head or in the upper part of a space.
“The plane has large overhead bins for your carry-on luggage.”
“The city replaced the old overhead power lines with underground cables to improve the aesthetic of the historic district.”
03business costs
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun Accounting
n. the regular costs of running a business, like rent and electricity, that are not for specific products.
n. the ongoing administrative and operational expenses of a business which cannot be attributed to any specific unit of output.
“The shop had to close because the monthly overhead was too high.”
“By automating the billing process, the firm managed to reduce its administrative overhead and improve overall profitability.”
Usage
Usually used as an uncountable noun in this sense.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04computing resources
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Computing Technical
n. extra time or memory a computer uses to manage a task rather than doing the task itself.
n. the processing time, memory, or bandwidth required to coordinate or facilitate a task rather than to perform the task itself.
“The new security software adds a lot of overhead to the system.”
“The developer sought to minimize the communication overhead between the distributed servers to ensure low latency for the end users.”
Synonyms
05nautical ceiling
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Nautical Technical
n. the ceiling of a room inside a ship.
n. the underside of a deck, forming the ceiling of a cabin or compartment below.
“The sailor had to duck his head to avoid hitting the overhead.”
“The pipes were mounted along the overhead of the engine room to keep the walkway clear for the crew.”
Synonyms
06projector sheet
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Archaic
n. a clear plastic sheet used to show images on a wall with a special machine.
n. a transparent sheet containing text or images for use with an overhead projector.
“The teacher wrote the math problems on an overhead so the whole class could see.”
“Before the era of digital presentations, speakers would often carry a folder full of hand-drawn overheads to their lectures.”
Teaching tip
This sense is largely obsolete in modern offices and schools due to the rise of digital projectors and screens.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“A video shared by ZBC on Tuesday showed several people appearing to be sitting on the upturned ferry, while at least four speedboats came to their aid and a helicopter circled overhead.” “The meteors appear to come from this part of the sky, but they can streak across almost any direction, so viewers should scan a wide area overhead.” Etymology
From Middle English owerheved, over-hed, over hede (adverb), from Old English oferhēafod (adverb), equivalent to over- + head. Compare German Low German overhoopt, överhoopt, German überhaupt. Piecewise doublet of overchief.
(Sense 1) Abbreviation of overhead projector. : (Sense 2) Back-formation from overhead projector.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/overhead
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0