head

▪ I. head head ¹ [hed] noun [countable]

1. JOBS the leader or person in charge of a group, organization, or part of an organization:

head of

• The head of each division is responsible for its operating performance.

• Stone was head of corporate finance at Coopers & Lybrand.

• Work is divided into different areas and is supervised by section heads.

2. JOBS head receptionist/​trader/​cashier etc the most senior Receptionist etc:

• Any cash received must be double-checked by the head receptionist.

3. COMMERCE have a ( good) business head to be able to make sensible and profitable business decisions

4. COMMERCE a head/​per head for each person:

• A conference for 70 people will work out at around £30 a head per day.

• Expenditure per head on training had been growing rapidly.

5. head on if you deal with a problem head on, you deal with it in a very brave and direct way:

• The issue has to be tackled head on.

6. COMMERCE head on if two companies compete head on, they each try to be successful selling the same product or service:

• Instead of trying to compete head on with stores like Our Price and HMV, he moved down-market, stocking cheaper CDs and tapes.

7. have/​be given a head start to have an advantage that helps you to be successful:

have/​be given a head start over

• Banks will have a head start over their non-banking rivals in selling products in this new market.

8. keep your head above water to only just manage to keep your company in business or live on the income you earn:

• These are savings that defence companies have to make to keep their heads above water.

9. go over somebody's head disapproving if you go over the head of your boss (= the person who you normally take orders from at work), you ask his or her boss something instead of asking him or her directly:

• My boss was angry because I went over his head to the department manager.

10. heads will roll spoken used to say that someone will lose their job or be punished for a mistake they have made

  [m0] ▪ II. head head ² verb

1. [transitive] also head up to be in charge of a group, an organization, or part of an organization:

• She heads a building company.

2. be headed if a page is headed with a particular word or sentence, it has it at the top:

• The three columns are headed " budget", "actual" and " variance".

3. head north/​south informal FINANCE if a share price, currency etc heads north, it rises in value. If it heads south, it falls in value:

• Right now, the rouble is heading south.

head down phrasal verb [intransitive] also be headed down FINANCE

if a share price, currency etc heads down or is headed down, it falls in value:

• Futures markets suggest oil prices may be headed down.

head something → off phrasal verb [transitive]

to take action to prevent something bad from happening:

• The country needs to find oil in time to head off a serious energy crisis.

head up phrasal verb

1. [transitive] head something → up JOBS to be in charge of an organization, part of an organization, or a group:

• Perkins left his post to head up marketing at Pizza Hut.

2. [intransitive] also be headed up FINANCE if a share price, currency etc heads up or is headed up, it increases in value:

• Commodity prices began heading up just after the recession ended.

* * *

Ⅰ.

head UK US /hed/ noun [C]

► a person who is in charge of a team, department, or an organization: »

Each department head has a great deal of freedom with regard to decision-making.

»

The proposal awaits final approval by a meeting of EU heads of state next month.

»

If you are a single parent, you can reduce your tax liability by filing as a head of household with a dependent child.

»

a head buyer/cashier/trader

► one person considered as a unit: cost/price/spend per head »

The region saw incomes per head fall by an average 4 per cent a year over the past decade.

»

The airline offered maximum compensation of £150 a head to anyone whose flight was disrupted by the strike action.

● be/get in over your head — Cf. get in over your head

● bury/have your head in the sand — Cf. have your head in the sand

● come to a head — Cf. come to a head

● get your head round/around sth — Cf. get your head round/around sth

● get/keep your head down — Cf. keep your head down

● go over sb's head — Cf. go over sb's head

● have a (good) head for sth — Cf. have a head for sth

● head on — Cf. head on

● heads will roll — Cf. heads will roll

● keep your head above water — Cf. keep your head above water

● put our/your/their heads together — Cf. put your/their heads together

● two heads are better than one — Cf. two heads are better than one

Ⅱ.

head UK US /hed/ verb

► [T] HR to lead or manage a team, department, organization, etc.: »

After five years in the US office, he returns to London to head the finance department.

► [I] to move in a particular direction or towards a particular result: be headed for/towards sth »

The corporate bond market is heading for its worst year in a decade as prices continue to fall.

»

These initial signs of recovery show the company is once again headed in the right direction.

► [T, passive] to put a title at the top of a page, column, etc.: »

The report was headed ""confidential"".

● head north/south — Cf. head south