HEAD


Meaning of HEAD in English

I. noun

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES

20/100 etc head of cattle (= 20, 100 etc cattle )

a bounty on...head

a notorious cattle rustler with a bounty on his head

a department head

These decisions are made by the department head.

a head cold (= affecting your nose and head )

A bad head cold can sometimes feel like flu.

a head count (= of how many people are present )

Make sure you do a head count before the children get back on the bus.

a head of lettuce (= a complete lettuce )

You'll need a head of lettuce for this salad recipe.

a head/leg etc wound

The victim died of chest wounds.

a head/leg/shoulder etc injury

He suffered a shoulder injury while playing rugby.

be heading for a nervous breakdown (= be likely to suffer one soon )

She should slow down a bit - I think she's heading for a nervous breakdown.

bumped...head (= his head hit the roof )

The roof was so low he bumped his head .

cocked...head

She cocked her head and considered the offer.

cool head (= stay calm )

Keep a cool head .

cost sth per head (= per person )

The meal will cost about £20 per head.

cracked...over the head

She cracked him over the head with a hammer.

crowned head

All the crowned heads of Europe were present.

death's head

did a head count

The teachers did a head count to check that none of the kids were missing.

dipped...head

She dipped her head and spoke into the microphone.

ducked...head

She ducked her head to look more closely at the inscription.

give sb/get/have a head start

Give your children a head start by sending them to nursery school.

grizzled hair/head/beard etc

a grizzled old man

hang/bow your head in shame (= look down, or feel like you should look down, because you feel so ashamed )

I bow my head in shame when I think of how I treated her.

hanging over...head

It’s not very nice to have huge debts hanging over your head .

have a head for heights (= not be afraid of heights )

head a commission (= be in charge of one )

He was elected to head a commission on tax reform.

head a council

Brzezinski headed the National Security Council at that time.

head a goal (= score a goal by hitting the ball with your head )

Peter Crouch headed England’s equalizing goal.

head boy

head cold

head count

The teachers did a head count to check that none of the kids were missing.

head for/make for the exit (= go to the exit )

Disappointed fans began heading for the exits.

head game

He’s obviously playing head games with you.

head girl

head honcho

the head honcho

head of state

head office

head over heels in love (= very much in love )

The two of them fell head over heels in love.

head start

Give your children a head start by sending them to nursery school.

head table

head teacher

head the cast (= be the main actor )

Al Pacino heads the cast of this political thriller.

headed notepaper (= with the sender’s address printed on it )

heading for a fall (= is likely to fail soon )

Rumours are that the company is heading for a fall .

hung...head in shame

Daphne had hung her head in shame .

it never entered sb’s head/mind (= used to say that someone never considered a particular idea, especially when this is surprising )

It never entered his head that she might be seeing someone else.

jerk of...head

He gave a sudden jerk of his head .

jerked...head

Wilcox jerked his head to indicate that they should move on.

laugh your head off (= laugh a lot )

The audience laughed its head off all the way through.

lead/head a coalition

The coalition was led by the Christian Democrats and the Socialists.

lift your head/eyes (= move your head or eyes up so that you can look at something )

She lifted her head to gaze at him.

main/head office (= the most important office )

The head office is in Edinburgh.

mind your head/fingers etc

Mind your head – the ceiling’s a bit low.

move/head in a direction

We followed the other passengers heading in the direction of passport control.

nodded...head

Mom nodded her head sympathetically.

nominal head

the nominal head of the rebellion

per head (= for or by each person )

The meal cost $25 per head .

pissed as a newt/pissed out of your head (= extremely drunk )

playing head games

He’s obviously playing head games with you.

poked...head

One of the nurses poked her head around the door.

sb’s heart rules their head (= someone makes decisions based on emotions rather than careful thought )

He has never been one to let his heart rule his head.

scream your head off (= scream a lot )

At least the idiot wasn’t panicking and screaming his head off.

shake of...head (= a movement of the head from side to side to mean ˈnoˈ )

He refused with a shake of the head .

shave your head/legs/armpits etc

She shaved her legs and underarms.

shoot sb in the leg/head etc

He had been shot in the back while trying to escape.

smash sb’s face/head in (= hit someone hard in the face or head )

I’ll smash his head in if he comes here again!

split...head open

The force of the blow nearly split his head open .

talking head

the foot/head of the bed (= the bottom/top of the bed )

I woke up to find someone standing at the foot of the bed.

the front/head of the queue

He pushed his way to the front of the queue.

the head coach (= the coach in charge of a team )

Jim is head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.

the head of a valley (= the higher end of a valley )

There is a great waterfall at the head of a valley.

the head of the household (= the person who earns the most money and is most respected in a house )

Families are classified by the occupation of the head of the household .

the top/head of the stairs

I left my briefcase at the top of the stairs.

tilt of...head

a slight tilt of the head

toss of...head

‘I’ll see,’ the nurse said, with an officious toss of her head .

twisted...head

He twisted his head slightly, and looked up at her.

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADJECTIVE

bald

Barry Kirk, 42, wears an orange jumpsuit and cape and paints his bald head orange.

How his bald head doth shine!

His bald head was shiny; his black shoes were shiny; and his lecture was very shiny indeed.

He speaks emphatically, does Robert Bruck, his bald head bobbing atop a thickset frame.

He had a high-domed bald head and smoked a curved pipe.

He hated showing his bald head .

■ NOUN

injury

One of them's suffering from serious head injuries .

She is hospitalized with head injuries .

Possible head injury , maybe whiplash - he's unconscious at the moment.

My husband suffered a broken arm and severe head injuries .

He was taken to hospital critically ill with severe head injuries - leaving girlfriend Donna Lorenz, 23, speechless.

His head injury had damaged his brain stem.

She suffered serious head injuries when she fell from her horse last year.

She suffered a serious head injury and was in a coma for three months after the accident.

■ VERB

bang

As she fell, she banged her head against the one table not smashed by her brothers.

He banged his head against the floor.

He picked it up, banging his head on the bowl.

You can hear them screaming and banging their heads , crying that they want to go home.

bend

Isobel, bending her head , thought: I can't tell him about the baby; not now.

They bend their heads gracefully as they kneel each morning to pray for the welfare of the Czar and his family.

Dorothea flushed from neck to hairline and, bending her head , took a sip from her tea-cup.

Miss Regina starts to answer, shakes her head defiantly, then bends her head to study her rings.

bow

She bowed her head in pain as she tried to picture the face of her husband.

After situating herself on a huge flat-sided rock, Baby Suggs bowed her head and prayed silently.

Hubert bowed his head and said he was aware of it; but that there was nothing else he wanted to do.

She again bows her head and sniffs for more apples.

She put the receiver down and bowed her head over it.

He served the ideal well. Bow your head , Los Angeles.

The other Women bowed their heads , and the silence lengthened, broken only by the murmuring of the huge trees.

As the priest was about to strike her, anguish troubled every man there and all bowed their heads .

bury

What is the good of having Rod Hull's Emu in the pulpit if he buries his head in the theological sands.

In his room he fell on his bed, and buried his head in the pillow.

She righted herself almost immediately, flew into Mrs Saulitis's out-stretched arms and buried her head in her bosom.

Flinging himself on the carpet, he buried his head wretchedly in the sofa cushions.

She buried her head in Florence's flank and groaned.

Suddenly all she wanted to do was get home and bury her head under her pillow.

He didn't seem to grasp that we can hardly bury a head without a body.

drop

There was certainly something different about this one, she thought dreamily, and dropped her head on his shoulder again.

Barnabas dropped his head on his front paws.

Six month old Hannah Davies was dropped on her head .

Laura sobbed, and dropped her head .

Wally dropped his head into my lap and began nuzzling my crotch.

He swung himself to sit on the edge of the bed, and dropped his head in his hands.

He turned around and dropped his head forward, letting the water massage the back of his neck.

hold

She certainly holds her head high when she walks through the town.

I saw how he held his head , slightly stiffly, and how the very air around him seemed charged.

Mary visited the Gents and returned, groaning and holding his head .

He held my head as I pumped away.

Note how they hold their heads high above the surface.

A gladiator named Justice holding the distinctive Salinas head in one hand, a bloodied sword in the other.

These teachers exerted considerable influence within the school, because they held positions as heads of departments or as year heads.

Just holding my head up like that.

incline

As soon as their eyes met he inclined his head in acknowledgement.

He inclined his head slightly and tried to see up the stairs.

Vic inclined his head in a mock bow.

He inclines his head in a way I have not seen.

He listens, and sometimes he inclines his head sympathetically, as if to get a better purchase on what I am saying.

She saw me looking at her and beckoned me, crooking her finger and inclining her head backwards, indicating the verandah.

jerk

She had jerked her head as the butcher had lunged, and he had missed the jugular.

Gao Yang jerked his head around, as his stomach lurched and a pocket of air rushed noisily to his throat.

He tried to lick her ear, but Judy jerked her head away - she couldn't bear that warm messy wetness.

He jerked his head toward the open door.

Wilcox jerked his head to indicate that they should move on.

Terrified that he would guess her wanton reaction to the heart-stopping touch of his hand, Isabel jerked her head away.

He jerked his head , and I was hit by a jarring chill.

keep

Luckily, I am a good swimmer, so I managed to keep my head out of the milk.

He kept his head , how-ever, and held fast to his golden apples.

Carla kept her head down as she approached the front door, glancing up briefly when the two officers introduced them-selves.

Westerners in Bangkok were advised to keep their heads down for 48 hours.

Suddenly she began to walk faster to the car, keeping her head turned away from the direction of them.

He felt the best way to cure her was to keep giving her her head .

But that will provide small comfort to poor people struggling now to keep their heads above water.

lift

Finally lift the head , take a deep steady breath and you will feel less tired and tense.

She finds an apple and chews it loudly, then she lifts her head and scans all around.

Léonie lifted her head from her partner's serge shoulder and stared about.

He could have lifted her above his head .

When it had finished chewing, it lifted its head , and the light of its antlers dimmed to a discreet glow.

She lifted her head and looked around.

Instinctively she lifted her head , and their lips met, softly at first, tasting and questing.

In the corner of his eye he saw the other men at the bar lift their heads .

lower

He lowered his head to her hair instinctively.

Dominic contemplates it, lowers his head to inhale the fragrance.

It made a small noise in its nostrils, then lowered its head slightly, as if bowing to her.

When we meet, she lowers her head and scoots by, but I can see the tears in her eyes.

The horse must be taught to lower his head and find balance on his hocks.

The black arms stabbed in at the lowered red head and bull neck, chipped blood off the brow and the cheek.

She lowered her head and took the tip of the throbbing rod between her lips.

A nurse took her arm and led her to a chair, commanding her to lower her head .

nod

She nodded her head vigorously and chattered gaily though I could only understand half of what she said.

I watch them nod their heads , bow, kiss the hands of the women, and I feel like laughing.

Then, turning, she saw Joanna nodding her head , as though pleased at the sight.

Theresa hesitated, looked to her father, who nodded his head a little as he withdrew to his study.

It is important to realize that the head should go forward in relation to the spine - as though nodding the head in affirmation.

She summons extraordinary strength and responds, nodding her head vigorously, agreeing.

Then, with a great effort, she managed to nod her head in vague agreement.

Old Chao nodded his head , once, twice, three times.

poke

Nick poked his head up from the blanket and looked around.

The women poked in their heads from time to time to take a look at me.

Seconds later he poked his head through the doorway and beckoned.

They barely gave me a nod when I poked my head up over the side of the truck.

He would silence noise by poking his head down the first step and yelling threats of appalling punishment.

The animal was stalking around my store, poking his head into corners.

As I got to the office I could see Alec poking his head round the open door.

I poked my head under the dripping awning of a newsstand and asked the proprietor.

raise

Then she raised her head and looked at him, hair caught in her mouth.

She raised her head off the bed, lay down on her side and curled up.

At last he managed to raise his head .

Florence said, without raising her head .

As with any form of power carving, safety raises its cautious head , especially when using the silver burrs.

When you raise your head and look at them they will be able to see you clearly too.

Gao Ma raised his head to listen.

scratch

Where possible he would seize scraps of parchment and draw lines, muttering to himself and scratching his head .

The thrift president scratched his head at the numbers.

One, and he scratched his head about this, appeared to be a sparrow.

As we nestled over a bedtime story he scratched his head .

There's nothing more guiltily satisfying than watching the experts scratch their heads .

You scratch your heads in selection, and can't find a proper balance with less than 12.

Everyone was scratching their heads trying to explain it.

shake

A frown of exasperation lined her brow as she shook her dark head in bewilderment.

They would shake their heads at the poverty of our taste and technology; they would much rather not eat at all.

He shook his head , forgetting the idea and looking at Sara again as the train stopped in the station.

Amelia got up from the table, shaking her head .

Irene sighed and shook her head: no visit to a foreign country seemed complete without bargains to carry home as trophies.

Klein said, shaking his head .

He smiles a few secret smiles and shakes his head when Anne and Millie look at him.

He shook his head , No.

stand

I can do it standing on my head , although I won't.

Maybe I have to stand on my head to prove I mean it.

He took the hammer from Tam and stood it, head downwards, on the concrete.

We did; the moment the car stopped there I jumped out and stood on my head in the grass.

But now they were standing at the head of a deep valley in the moor with their ears and tails down.

She stood there with her head tucked against her left shoulder, one hand raised in blank surprise.

A malevolent demon was standing on his head .

Nineteenth-century amateurism has been stood on its head .

stick

But what sticks in my head , ridiculously, is the cabinet pudding.

The chestnut colt stuck its head in through the open window to lick her hand with its warm tongue.

Instead they hanged him and stuck his head upon the gallows tree.

A month later she stuck her head into a gas oven.

She always stuck her head in a bag on that one.

You can just stick your head under the flap of the tent and crawl right in.

tilt

Read them with a tilted head .

The way she tilted her head gave him access to her soul.

Beth Dunning, nothing over five feet, had to tilt her head back to speak to him.

Again she tilted her head at the audience, still singing.

The doctor tilted his head so he could look at the nurse through his glasses.

toss

The animal plunged to a halt, snorting and tossing its head nervously as water sprayed into the air around them.

He read the enclosure, then tossed back his head and laughed.

His horse snorted, tossing its head so that foam flew in dark patches on the ground.

When she tossed her head her hair fell around her shoulders and upper arms in a lovely auburn cascade.

Karen tossed her head back, sending her hair over her left shoulder.

The chestnut tossed his head and mouthed the bit, but his stride was smooth and easy.

Then the fox tossed his head and gulped down the Gingerbread Man.

turn

He hesitated, turning his head , staring back the way he'd come, but the corridor was empty.

Many of these taboos derive from patriarchal societies taking the power of women and turning it on its head .

A gardener came by with a barrow, but didn't turn his head .

Somewhere a thrush was singing, and I saw her turn her head , and heard her sigh.

Forsake the search for excellence. Turn thy head from quality circles.

He turned his head at a slight tap on the door.

He wriggled around in her arms, then turned and butted his head against her shoulder, lightly but repeatedly.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

I'll knock your head/block off

a crack on the head

a roof over your head

It's hard to be cheerful when you haven't even got a roof over your head.

It doesn't matter what kind of place it is, at least you'll have a roof over your head.

We always had food on the table and a roof over our heads.

At least they would have a roof over their heads in the winter.

I have a bed and a roof over my head and three meals a day, so I should not complain.

Many of the homeless on London's streets would be glad of warm clothes and a roof over their head.

Married to a man I despise just to have a roof over my head and a ring on my finger!

Now she did not have a roof over her head.

The first night passed quietly enough as the newcomers were thoroughly examined and were glad to get a roof over their heads.

To stress the importance of a roof over your head. 2.

Who would offer a woman and three children a roof over their heads?

acting manager/head teacher/director etc

an old head on young shoulders

associate member/director/head etc

Early in the setup of the Northwest Respirator Center he hired Dunning to work as his part-time associate director.

Gross is an associate director at Woodbourne.

He later became associate director of circulation planning and vice president and business manager.

Mike McCarthy is associate director, head of sixth-form studies.

The aim is now to change the constitution to elect four associate members on to a management committee.

These activities are available when you join the society as an associate member.

be like a bear with a sore head

be stood on its head

blow sb's head off

Depressed, he blows his head off.

He held a loaded air pistol to her stepfather's neck and threatened to blow his head off.

If I ever get you alone, I am going to blow your head off.

It would come in a box and it would blow your head off.

She also told the court that he'd heard he'd threatened to blow his head off.

Then he saw himself tripping over the gun and blowing his head off.

bob your head

A man turned into a baby, who bobbed his head and wept.

She reddened and bobbed her head and sat down a little awkwardly.

The birds just sort of bob their heads like they're wind up toys.

bow your head

I bowed my head and prayed.

Jerry stood there with his head bowed in shame.

He watched open-mouthed as Alice bowed her head and her eyes, her gloriously blue eyes, opened fully.

I bow my head in shame when I think of the countries we've looted and the people we've subjugated.

Lilly winced, and Mandon gravely bowed his head in acknowledgment.

She again bows her head and sniffs for more apples.

The man bowed his head as if in prayer.

The other Women bowed their heads, and the silence lengthened, broken only by the murmuring of the huge trees.

When she finished he gave a short laugh and bowed his head.

With that, doctor and patient joined hands and bowed their heads as Keys prayed.

bury your face/head etc (in sth)

Jessamy buried her face against her husband's shoulder.

She gripped his hands, his shirt, burying her face in his chest, hiding and laughing at her own reaction.

She returned to her chair and sank down into it burying her face in her hands.

Suddenly he raced across the stage and buried his face behind the curtain.

Then with a groan, he buried his face in her neck and began stroking her thighs.

You will notice phrases like crocodile tears, the elephant never forgets, and the ostrich burying its head in the sand.

bury your face/head in your hands

bury your head in the sand

If you bury your head in the sand now, you may lose your house.

You'll never solve your problems if you just bury your head in the sand -- you have to face them.

carry sth in your head/mind

The amount of knowledge Lee carries in her head is amazing.

He must remember the word and carry it in his head for some time, and so is writing from an image.

clear your head/mind

I go for a long walk at lunchtime to clear my head.

Gao Yang recalled that the wall barely cleared his head at the time.

He leaned against the wall desperately trying to clear his mind but the memory proved elusive.

He wants a few days to clear his head.

His meeting with the Holtzes seemed to have refreshed Alvin and cleared his mind.

If not, the cold would clear his head.

She cleared her head of Rory, all that nonsense.

She needed the hot draught of caffeine to clear her head.

So, clear your mind, get out your No. 2 pencils and do your best: 1.

flash through sb's mind/head/brain

Each time I see one of these cocoons hanging from a tree, all of these marvels flash through my mind.

Her body seemed determined to ignore the danger signals now at last flashing through her brain.

It flashed through my mind that I was close.

The image of the guard in his elaborate flowering prison flashes through her head.

The one occasion which was flashing through Yanto's mind at this moment involved just three of the local water babies.

The only idea that flashed through my head was that some one had broken into the house and was attacking Master Yehudi.

The past twenty-two months flashed through my mind like film run at high speed, and suddenly I felt rather tired.

This was staggering new information, and all kinds of ideas were flashing through our minds.

give sb ideas/put ideas into sb's head

go around in your head

hang your head

Father Time wouldn't have been alone in hanging his head in shame.

He cries, whines, and just goes and sits over there and hangs his head down.

He was in the House at the time, so he should hang his head in shame.

I could see from his silhouette in the starlight that he was hanging his head.

I realized I had no reason to hang my head.

She did not, now, want to see him dismissed, led away hanging his head.

She refused to be cowardly and hang her head.

have a swollen head/be swollen-headed

have eyes in the back of your head

When you're looking after a two year old, you need to have eyes in the back of your head.

You need to have eyes in the back of your head to be a teacher.

headed notepaper/paper

Even if, in this instance, the mistake appears on the committee's headed notepaper.

On Gordon's desk was a pile of headed notepaper.

Other Railfreight assets from office buildings to headed notepaper also received the appropriate embellishments.

Press releases should be eye-catching and on boldly headed paper.

The letter is on headed notepaper.

They agreed to this and even gave him their headed notepaper to use in ordering.

This appears automatically on the bottom of your email, like headed notepaper.

his/her etc eyes were popping (out of his/her etc head)

hit the nail on the head

If Jack had been trying to find a way to impress Polly he had hit the nail on the head.

My friend, you have hit the nail on the head.

She might dislike Piers Morrison, but he had a knack of hitting the nail on the head.

hold your head up

As a baby she may have had a hard time holding her head up, for example.

Her own cheeks had gone pale; her lids drooped over her eyes; she held her head up in her hand.

How else could a girl hold her head up in her family?

However, Linfield can hold their heads up high.

Just holding my head up like that.

incline your head

He inclined his head slightly and tried to see up the stairs.

He listens, and sometimes he inclines his head sympathetically, as if to get a better purchase on what I am saying.

She saw me looking at her and beckoned me, crooking her finger and inclining her head backwards, indicating the verandah.

Urquhart inclined his head and seemed to listen to the wind.

keep a civil tongue in your head

kick sb's head/face/teeth in

But they would kick your head in if you spilt their pint just the same.

It goes with some people wanting to kick my head in.

Lou and Van burst into tears and Hamburglar kicks their heads in.

So they are all there, kicking our teeth in.

knock (sb's) heads together

If you two don't stop yelling at each other, I'll knock your heads together!

He caught hold of the two nearest him and knocked their heads together, kicked two more and grabbed the ringleaders.

She'd just box a few ears, knock a few heads together like she did with the Rattries, and chase them off.

knock some sense into sb/into sb's head

Maybe getting arrested will knock some sense into him.

knock sth on the head

Fortunately they didn't knock me on the head or anything which they could have done, couldn't they?

lose your head

Actually, not all of the men had lost their heads.

Buckingham lost his head over the matter.

But he must not lose his head and try to make up the distance all at once.

But you lose your head in this crazy hellhole, you do, and different rules apply.

He made a sort of feeble pretence of being afraid that he might lose his head.

I must be losing my head, she thought.

The bull market in bonds finally lost its head of steam.

There was always something around the corner if you didn't lose your head.

lower your eyes/head

A nurse took her arm and led her to a chair, commanding her to lower her head.

Gao Yang lowered his head, sending drops of cooled sweat sliding Jown the tree to the ground.

He lowered his head on to the table; the marble felt fresh in contact with his flushed skin.

It made a small noise in its nostrils, then lowered its head slightly, as if bowing to her.

Kathleen Lavender lowered her head, in tears of distress.

The horse must be taught to lower his head and find balance on his hocks.

When Ray finished, he passed the microphone and lowered his head.

When we meet, she lowers her head and scoots by, but I can see the tears in her eyes.

my head/back etc is killing me

need sth like a hole in the head

need/want sth like a hole in the head

not bother yourself/not bother your head

not harm/touch a hair of/on sb's head

off the top of your head

""How old is Chris?" "I don't know off the top of my head."

"Do you remember her name?" "Not off the top of my head."

"How much is the house worth?" "Off the top of my head, I'd say it's worth maybe $160,000."

There are some good restaurants around here, but I can't tell you their names off the top of my head.

I keep doing stuff off the top of my head.

In my imagination, I can lift off the top of my head, just like a lid.

It was all off the top of my head.

pop into your head/mind

A line from an old drinking song popped into his head.

And Arnie was the first lie that popped into her head.

Funny, the sort of things which popped into your head.

List these assets and liabilities at random as they pop into your mind or as they are suggested to you by others.

Whenever the question of whether or not she needed him popped into her head, Constance conveniently ducked it.

price on sb's head

As a soldier under the Whites there was a price on his head; some one would soon discover his true identity.

Bream often have the biggest price on their heads but roach, rudd and hefty tench can provide a healthy bonus.

He was also unusual among philologists in having had a price on his head.

put your head/neck on the block

put/hold a gun to sb's head

He might as well have put a gun to my head.

put/stick your head above the parapet

queer in the head

raise its (ugly) head

And here's where the question of spec lists raises its head.

Another problem will begin to raise its ugly head, in the form of parasites.

rear its ugly head

At Hubbard Woods Elementary an even more graphic example of the troubled world our children face reared its ugly head.

Clubs lost their authority and control of players when money reared its ugly head.

Hence the double bind attached to being appropriately feminine rears its ugly head again.

In addition, politics has reared its ugly head, all institutional efforts not withstanding.

It rears its ugly head every time a similar shooting occurs at another school.

One which is likely to rear its ugly head continually during this piece.

The spectre of restraint of trade rears its ugly head.

Unfortunately the same could not be said of the bad weather ruling which reared its ugly head too often.

red-headed/curly-headed etc

sb can do sth standing on their head

sb's eyes popped (out of their head)

sb's head is spinning

My shirt is soaked through, my head is spinning .

scratch your head

Budget directors are scratching their heads about how to deal with the shortfall.

The last question really left us scratching our heads.

He scratched his head, a sure sign of thought.

One, and he scratched his head about this, appeared to be a sparrow.

There's nothing more guiltily satisfying than watching the experts scratch their heads.

They studied the map for a while, scratched their heads, turned it upside down and studied it some more.

When I scratched his head, he would not hold still as long as before.

Where possible he would seize scraps of parchment and draw lines, muttering to himself and scratching his head.

You scratch your heads in selection, and can't find a proper balance with less than 12.

shake your head

"Shall I give him a message from you?" "Rosalie shook her head. "No, I expect he'll be telephoning me."

Even before I'd finished my sentence, Dad was already shaking his head.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't agree," she said.

Ah, good, he has stopped shaking his head.

And you are laughing again, shaking your head, it's what's-happening-I-don't-believe-this-honey time again.

Behind Billic, Loulse shook her head.

Broomhead shook his head in resigned disbelief and set about installing the gramophone in its housing.

I watch a white Lamborghini Countach trundle past on the street outside and shake my head in disbelief.

She shook her head, moved it closer to the glass, and the image changed.

soft in the head

I think the old woman's going soft in the head.

She might be soft in the head about everything else, but never about money.

You're soft in the head.

stand on your head/hands

A malevolent demon was standing on his head.

And the hoops were made by soldiers, who turned over and stood on their hands and feet.

I can do it standing on my head, although I won't.

Maybe I have to stand on my head to prove I mean it.

She had a washboard stomach, and her boyfriend would stand on his hands on chairs balanced above her.

Somehow the doctrine of the Fall had been stood on its head.

Susan was teaching Wyatt how to stand on his hands.

We did; the moment the car stopped there I jumped out and stood on my head in the grass.

titular head/leader/monarch etc

She was the titular head of our hareem.

Some thought it odd to see the retired Frank Kush out there, as titular head of the football program.

toss your head/hair

The girl tossed her hair and twisted in her chair.

And the mare, as if finally understanding, begins to strain, tosses her head wildly, pulls at the reins.

His horse snorted, tossing its head so that foam flew in dark patches on the ground.

I tossed my hair and glided on to the stage.

Karen tossed her head back, sending her hair over her left shoulder.

The animal plunged to a halt, snorting and tossing its head nervously as water sprayed into the air around them.

The Lieutenant's horse was tossing its head, snorting, raising its bright hooves high as it trampled the crop.

Then the fox tossed his head and gulped down the Gingerbread Man.

Two goats will circle head to tail in a display of strength, tossing their heads and posturing and grunting at each other.

turn (people's) heads

Wilkins has turned some heads by claiming to be the best football player ever.

A kiss-and-tell look behind the scenes of a sport always turns heads with book publishers.

Her tiny waist and substantial bosom turned heads right across the bar.

My average customer wants to be seen, wants to turn heads.

None of the Lavenders had ever turned heads.

She would have turned heads anywhere in a navy blue backless dress which rose just above her knee.

The blast must have hit solidly all at once and had given them the briefest chance to turn heads only.

turn sb's head

So it seems some young woman has finally turned Steve's head.

two heads are better than one

two-headed/three-headed etc

upside the head/face etc

He needed a slap upside the head.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a head of lettuce

a shower head

According to Rice, the head of the planning committee, the project is 25% completed.

Collins suffered severe head injuries in the accident.

Dan's head was full of big ideas.

He turned his head to kiss her.

Hwang is head of the local Communist Party, and is also a farmer.

I picked up a hammer and hit the head of the nail as hard as I could.

Professor Calder is the department head .

She's so quiet - you never quite know what's going on inside her head .

She's the head of research and development.

the former head of MI5, the British intelligence service

There was a hole in the pipe, no bigger than the head of a matchstick.

Troy's head is just full of ideas.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Every head had to turn simultaneously.

I didn't struggle a lot, but one of them pushed my head right down, my arms were pulled right back.

In view of what you said, did you consider the use of night sticks on the heads of demonstrators hospitable?

It is coarse and irregular, involves the face, head , and extremities, and is accentuated by movements.

It turns time on its head .

Keep arms hanging, head down and neck and shoulders relaxed.

The copper head moved and Theda's hand dropped.

II. verb

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADVERB

back

I head back to the ballroom.

He was now heading back in the direction of New York City, by circling the perimeter of the vast estate.

When we had not arrived as anticipated, my grandmother had gotten worried and had headed back .

Riker kept turning and headed back to the Tea Plantation.

The 2-8-0 is seen at Shireoaks as it takes the line to Shirebrook, heading back to its Buttlerley base.

home

Wright conceded a corner after tipping over Johnson's header and Wark rose unmarked to head home the equaliser.

As he headed home with Dooley at nearly one-thirty in the morning, he felt deeply grateful, but uncommonly fatigued.

Having done our bit to fend off a recession we head home , masters of our fates.

Boyd's cross from the left was flicked in by Nicholas.Saints broke immediately and Redford soared to head home Maskrey's cross.

After work, all the men went out together to drink before heading home .

After dessert, and some well-received double whiskeys, I stopped off at the toilet before heading home .

My parents locked up and headed home .

north

We headed north , traveling 190 miles mostly by interstate, stretched to six hours by frequent stops.

The way moves cast, and then doubles back, labyrinth-like, to head north and up the stairs.

They cluster around telephone boxes and the bus station, plotting to head north .

I am heading north now, through the suburbs where the workers live.

After the quick tour we head north .

I headed over to my Civic and headed north .

on

Moments later Di dropped Wills off before heading on to London.

A short time later I was heading on down the road, legal as a lawyer.

So we headed on down, with bushes now scraping the side.

After a day or two layover in Casablanca, I headed on back home.

out

And now they had left the city behind and were heading out into the open country.

She described her family heading out for church on one recent Sunday.

Forgetting the holidays temporarily, she headed out in her car to assess the damage for herself.

At age 10, she began tagging along when her brothers would head out to the neighborhood playgrounds and recreation centers.

Since then, the wealthier children have headed out to the suburbs, where loitering is legal.

They were emerging from shadow, heading out into the Sun.

It was only as she was heading out into the road that she raised her eyes to the rear-view mirror.

I say, and set my drink down and start heading out of the pool.

south

Others retire and head south for the sun.

It swung north, then headed south , then back north, then east-east!-then back south.

Sure enough, it turned out they were from Minnesota, heading south to try and stay ahead of the cold.

He was one of thousands who headed south as soon as they heard the glad tidings on Monday morning.

The suspects managed to get away, heading south on Interstate 5.

straight

Then it headed straight for the nearest suitable planet and effected a landing.

The instant the tasting was over, the count headed straight for the airport.

He was headed straight for jail.

I headed straight for the kitchen.

We head straight into the morning sun.

When the Taylors reached Paris, they headed straight there.

The Sun he bought long ago from Hugh Cudlipp was a misbegotten creation heading straight for the abattoir.

west

I turned on to the paved state road and headed west , and Janir went back to his Stephen King.

Joseph and Leavenworth meant two days saved for early settlers heading west in ox-drawn wagons.

Receiving assurances that there was no ethnic dimension to the role he had been offered, Hoch hopped a plane headed west .

We headed west , crossed Sixth Avenue.

So he had no choice but to head west again, then north toward salvation.

■ NOUN

commission

More blacks have been elected to the state legislature, and a black also heads the Dade county commission .

Justice J. S. Verma was appointed to head the commission on May 27.

committee

The county's chief constable, who heads a national committee on crime, says he hasn't the resources to cope.

department

The report singled out Gerrit Viljoen, who headed the department during the period in question, for particular criticism.

The man who heads the Police Department will be given real authority.

Highly trained and experienced financial managers head each financial department .

The Chief Superintendent is being posted to division after heading the department for some 2 years.

When he arrived to head the Department of Drawings in 1931 it had only recently been split from the paintings department.

direction

In what direction are you heading ?

Which direction is the program headed ?

They hear that there is a bull market to ride, and they do not care which direction the bull is headed .

Vocal about the direction the Bruins were headed last season, Oates was dealt to Washington late in the year.

We need to look back so we can have some sense of direction to head in after this bye week.

door

Max heads off to the door .

Trying to run myself, I saw that Langford had charged ahead of the three of us, heading towards the door .

He turned and headed for the door where he paused for a moment.

One by one, silently, they head out the door , across the lobby and into the waiting chartered bus.

She headed for the door at a dead run, her new arm thumping uselessly against various items of furniture.

She turned away from him, heading for the door .

Then she spun round and headed for the door to the outside.

She seemed busy, so I headed for the front door .

family

His son, Dionísio Pestana now heads the family organization in Madeira.

More single women headed black families than married couples in 1996, the report showed.

government

By 1919 he was also heading a government grain-collecting centre.

Business people then asked Prem to head such a government .

Whatever else persuaded MacDonald to head a National Government , it was not premeditated ambition.

A further level of pre-censorship, imposed by a bureaucracy headed by government appointees, is an unnecessary institutional restriction on programme-makers.

Yet they headed governments with authoritarian features that were quite unacceptable.

Who then more logical to head our new government but a business man?

Bileka was considered to have neither the stature nor the political charisma to head a transitional government .

He's been heading government efforts to help victims of the scandal.

group

We are now looking for a manager to head this group and develop its work.

None the less Tupac headed a youth group , the New Afrikan Panthers, performing at community centres.

Mr Foster heads up the housing group .

Many strikes were headed by groups of workers who had previously been fairly quiescent.

list

None less than the philandering Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart head the list .

I mean talent has obviously got to head the list .

Royalty heads the list of fallen idols.

They both headed the list with the responsibilities they had at the time.

party

For Cranmer, who headed the party of Reform for the next twenty years, the task seemed hardly begun.

To be sure, the going will be tough for Hashimoto, who heads the Liberal Democratic Party .

In the morning she had poached a short and cheeky interview with the woman just elected to head the Conservative Party .

Outhwaite names' champion Peter Nutting is to head a new working party to co-ordinate syndicate action groups.

stair

I slipped out of bed, got into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and headed down the stairs .

But Eugene was already headed up the stairs .

I headed down the stairs into the silence of the early evening.

I slipped my shoes on and left my handbag by the door, heading for the stairs .

team

He heads the Justice Juvenile team in Gloucestershire dealing with young offenders.

Becker replaced Niki Pilic, a Yugoslav who headed the team for 10 years.

Nutritionist Hugh Kerr will head a team of nine full-time staff.

His boss had therefore concluded that he should head up the technical team .

They're also likely to head up a team of 350 and their companies turn over an average of £40 million annually.

The boss fell for it, and asked Lydia to head up the team .

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a crack on the head

a roof over your head

It's hard to be cheerful when you haven't even got a roof over your head.

It doesn't matter what kind of place it is, at least you'll have a roof over your head.

We always had food on the table and a roof over our heads.

At least they would have a roof over their heads in the winter.

I have a bed and a roof over my head and three meals a day, so I should not complain.

Many of the homeless on London's streets would be glad of warm clothes and a roof over their head.

Married to a man I despise just to have a roof over my head and a ring on my finger!

Now she did not have a roof over her head.

The first night passed quietly enough as the newcomers were thoroughly examined and were glad to get a roof over their heads.

To stress the importance of a roof over your head. 2.

Who would offer a woman and three children a roof over their heads?

acting manager/head teacher/director etc

an old head on young shoulders

associate member/director/head etc

Early in the setup of the Northwest Respirator Center he hired Dunning to work as his part-time associate director.

Gross is an associate director at Woodbourne.

He later became associate director of circulation planning and vice president and business manager.

Mike McCarthy is associate director, head of sixth-form studies.

The aim is now to change the constitution to elect four associate members on to a management committee.

These activities are available when you join the society as an associate member.

be like a bear with a sore head

give sb ideas/put ideas into sb's head

have a swollen head/be swollen-headed

have eyes in the back of your head

When you're looking after a two year old, you need to have eyes in the back of your head.

You need to have eyes in the back of your head to be a teacher.

headed notepaper/paper

Even if, in this instance, the mistake appears on the committee's headed notepaper.

On Gordon's desk was a pile of headed notepaper.

Other Railfreight assets from office buildings to headed notepaper also received the appropriate embellishments.

Press releases should be eye-catching and on boldly headed paper.

The letter is on headed notepaper.

They agreed to this and even gave him their headed notepaper to use in ordering.

This appears automatically on the bottom of your email, like headed notepaper.

his/her etc eyes were popping (out of his/her etc head)

keep a civil tongue in your head

need/want sth like a hole in the head

not harm/touch a hair of/on sb's head

off the top of your head

""How old is Chris?" "I don't know off the top of my head."

"Do you remember her name?" "Not off the top of my head."

"How much is the house worth?" "Off the top of my head, I'd say it's worth maybe $160,000."

There are some good restaurants around here, but I can't tell you their names off the top of my head.

I keep doing stuff off the top of my head.

In my imagination, I can lift off the top of my head, just like a lid.

It was all off the top of my head.

price on sb's head

As a soldier under the Whites there was a price on his head; some one would soon discover his true identity.

Bream often have the biggest price on their heads but roach, rudd and hefty tench can provide a healthy bonus.

He was also unusual among philologists in having had a price on his head.

put your head/neck on the block

put/hold a gun to sb's head

He might as well have put a gun to my head.

put/stick your head above the parapet

queer in the head

red-headed/curly-headed etc

soft in the head

I think the old woman's going soft in the head.

She might be soft in the head about everything else, but never about money.

You're soft in the head.

titular head/leader/monarch etc

She was the titular head of our hareem.

Some thought it odd to see the retired Frank Kush out there, as titular head of the football program.

two heads are better than one

two-headed/three-headed etc

upside the head/face etc

He needed a slap upside the head.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

Heading up the investigation into the crash is Officer Frank Foyle.

Levy headed an investigation into the fund mismanagement.

Most single-parent families are headed by women.

The commission was headed up by Barry Kerr.

The march was headed by the Reverend Martin Luther King.

The program is headed by an expert in teaching gifted and talented children.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

At one stage she had suggested that he leave for a vacation and she stayed being, heading a Regency Council.

For Cranmer, who headed the party of Reform for the next twenty years, the task seemed hardly begun.

His teammates were long gone, headed home to celebrate the biggest victory of their pro careers.

It is headed by a managing director.

Jean and those guys, it seems like this organization is heading in the right direction.

They hear that there is a bull market to ride, and they do not care which direction the bull is headed.

This helped them to gain height and get power when heading the ball.

Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary.      Дополнительный английский словарь Longman DOCE5.