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someone their head BrE to allow someone freedom to do as they like 29 go to someone's head: a) to make someone drunk; INTOXICATE b) to over-excite someone: The thrill of watching the race had gone to his head - he was jumping up and down and screaming. c) to make someone too proud or CONCEITED: I hope her new important job won't go to her head. 30 have one's head in the clouds to be extremely impractical; not act according to the realities of life 31 have/bury one's head in the sand to refuse to think about an unpleasant situation 32 have one's head screwed on infml apprec to be sensible and practical 33 head and shoulders above very much better than: This book is/stands head and shoulders above all the others on the subject. 34 head over heels: a) turning over in the air headfirst b) completely; uncontrollably: head over heels in love 35 heads will roll certain people will be punished (said when a serious mistake has been made) 36 keep one's head to remain calm in a difficult situation or an EMERGENCY: She kept her head and put a damp blanket over the flames. 37 keep one's head above water: a) to be only just able to live on one's income b) to be only just able to keep going, working etc 38 lose one's head to suddenly lose one's calmness and self-control 39 not be able to make head or tail of to be unable to understand; be completely confused by 40 off one's head infml mad; CRAZY: He must be off his head to go jogging in this weather! 41 out of one's head slang behaving as if mad, especially when under the influence of a drug or alcohol 42 over someone's head: a) beyond someone's ability to understand: The lecture was a bit over their heads. b) without first talking to or getting the permission of someone of lower rank: He went over the captain's head to complain to the general. -> compare OVERHEAD 43 put our/your/their heads together to think out a plan with other people 44 take it into one's head to ... to suddenly get a silly but firm idea to ... 45 talk one's head off to talk a great deal 46 turn someone's head: a) to make someone too proud or CONCEITED: Success had not turned his head. b) to make someone fall in love: Her beauty had quite turned his head. 47 two heads are better than one saying two people thinking together can find an answer to a problem more easily than one person thinking alone 48 -headed /hedɪd/ a) having a head or heads of the stated type or number: a three-headed monster | red-headed (=having red hair) b) having a mind or brain of the stated type: empty-headed (=stupid) | level-headed (=calm and not easily upset) | clear-headed (=able to think clearly) 49 be a head case slang to be crazy: She's a head case, man, why do you want to go out with her? | I went to a school where half the teachers were head cases. 50 get one's head/mind round sth BrE spoken used in order to say that it is very difficult to understand an idea, situation etc (often used in the negative): I just can't get my head round the fact that my best friend is actually married! | This presentation should help you get your heads around the concept of Internet commerce. 51 have one's head up one's arse BrE have one's head up one's ass AmE a rude expression used in order to say that someone is too interested in themselves and their own worries to deal with other situations or understand other people's problems: It's no good expecting the Vice President to support us - he's got his head up his arse most of the time. | I don't have time to argue with a bunch of idiots with their heads up their asses. -> see also HEADS, SWOLLEN HEAD, bite someone's head off (BITE¹), knock something on the head (KNOCK¹), standing on one's head (STAND¹)
head² v 1 [T/UP] a) to lead; be at the front of: The president's car headed the procession. b) to be in charge of: a commission of inquiry headed by Lord Scarman | The sales director heads a team of 20 representatives. 2 [I+adv/prep] to move in a certain direction: After the battle, the army headed back towards Rome. | We're heading home. 3 [T] to strike (a ball) with the head, especially in football: He headed it into the goal. 4 [T] to be at the top of; provide a HEADING for: [+obj+adj/n] The memorandum was headed 'Confidential'.
head for sthg. phr v [T] to move towards; go to: Where are you heading for/headed for? 'Manchester.' | After the play we all headed for the bar. | (fig.) You're heading for trouble/ heading for an accident if you drive after drinking. | (fig.) The company seems to be heading for bankruptcy. -> compare ASK FOR
head sbdy./sthg. <=> off phr v [T] 1 to cause to change direction by moving in front of: They were running towards the house, but we headed them off at the gate. 2 to prevent (something unwanted); FORESTALL: The company changed its plans in order to head off a rebellion by shareholders.
Head, E·dith /'i:dɪθθ/ (1903-81) a famous DESIGNER OF COSTUMES for more than 500 Hollywood films
head·ache /'hedeɪk/ n 1 a pain in the head: I always get headaches after reading. | I've got a bad headache. 2 infml a difficult or worrying problem: Trying to make the children eat is one big headache! ----achy adj infml: a headachy feeling | feeling headachy -> see also SICK HEADACHE
Head and 'Shoulders trademark a type of SHAMPOO which is designed to get rid of DANDRUFF (=small pieces of dead skin from your head that can be seen in your hair or on your clothes)
head·band /'hædbænd/ n a band worn around the head, usually to keep the hair back from the face, typically worn by tennis players
head·bang /'hædbæŋ/ v [I] to move one's head violently backwards and forwards to the beat of HEAVY METAL music
head·bang·er /'hed,bæŋər/ n BrE slang 1 a person who headbangs 2 a person who behaves in a stupid or mad way: headbangers who drive at 90 miles an hour in the fog
head·board /'hedbɔːd||-bɔːrd/ n an upright board forming the HEAD (=the top end) of a bed
head 'boy n the most important boy in a school, chosen to lead a team of older boys (PREFECTS) in controlling the younger ones, and to represent the school on public occasions
head·cheese /'hedtʃiːz/ n [U] AmE for BRAWN
head·dress /'hed-dres/ n a covering that decorates the head: The Indian chief wore a feathered headdress.
head·ed /'hedɪd/ adj having a LETTERHEAD: She wrote on headed notepaper
head·er /'hedər/ n BrE 1 (in football) an act of striking the ball with the head 2 information at the top of a page, especially things such as numbers that appear on each page of a document 3 also header tank a TANK in a car's engine into which water is put to keep up the correct water pressure in the car's RADIATOR -> see picture at ENGINE
head·first /,hed'fɜːst||-ɜːrst/ adj, adv 1 (moving) with the rest of the body following the head: I fell headfirst down the stairs/into the water 2 (done) with unthinking speed: He's gone headfirst into trouble again.
'head game n [C usually plural] AmE infml the act of deceiving someone or trying to get them to do what you want, especially someone you are in a romantic relationship with: He's obviously playing head games with you.
head·gear /'hedgɪər/ n [U] (a) covering for the head: They issued caps, berets, helmets, and other types of headgear to the rescue party.
head 'girl n the most important girl in a British school, chosen to lead a team of older girls (PREFECTS) in controlling the younger ones, and to represent the school on public occasions
head·hunt·er /'hed,hʌntər/ n 1 a person who cuts off his enemies' heads and keeps them 2 infml a person who tries to attract specially able people to jobs, especially by offering them better pay and more responsibility —headhunt v [T]
head·ing /'hedɪŋ/ n the words written as a title at the top of a piece of writing, or at the top of each part of it
head·lamp /'hedlæmp/ n old-fash HEADLIGHT
head·land /'hedlənd/ n an area of land running out from the coast into the sea; PROMONTORY
head·less /'hedləs/ adj without a head: The headless body of a man was found in the woods.
Headless 'Horseman, the a GHOST (=the spirit of a dead person) with no head, who rides a horse. He appears in several ghost stories, the most famous of which is The LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW (1820) by Washington IRVING.
head·light /'hedlaɪt/ also headlamp old-fash — n [often pl.] a powerful light, usually one of a pair fixed at the front of a vehicle -> compare SIDELIGHT; see picture at CAR
head·line¹ /'hedlaɪn/ n 1 the heading printed in large