1. The uppermost part of the human body, or the foremost part of the body of prone and creeping animals. This part of the human body contains the organs of hearing, See ing, tasting and smelling; it contains also the brain, which is supposed to be the seat of the intellectual powers, and of sensation. Hence the head is the chief or more important part, and is used for the whole person, in the phrase, let the evil fall on my head.

2. An animal; an individual; as,the tax was raised by a certain rate per head. And we use the singular number to express many. The herd contains twenty head of oxen.

Thirty thousand head of swine.

3. A chief; a principal person; a leader; a commander; one who has the first rank or place,and to whom others are subordinate; as the head of an army; the head of a sect or party. Eph 5.

4. The first place; the place of honor, or of command. The lord mayor sat at the head of the table. The general marched at the head of his troops.

5. Countenance; presence; in the phrases, to hide the head, to show the head.

6. Understanding; faculties of the mind; sometimes in a ludicrous sense; as, a man has a good head, or a strong head. These men laid their heads together to form the scheme. Never trouble your head about this affair. So we say, to beat the head; to break the head; that is, to study hard, to exercise the understanding or mental faculties.

7. Face; front; forepart.

The ravishers turn head, the fight renews.

2. To form a head to; to fit or furnish with a head; as, to head a nail.

3. To lop; as, to head trees.

4. To go in front of; to get into the front; as, to head a drove of cattle.

5. To set on the head; as, to head a cask.

6. To oppose; to veer round and blow in opposition to the course of a ship;as, the wind heads us.

, v.i. hed. To originate; to spring; to have its source, as a river.

A broad river that heads in the great Blue Ridge of mountains.