"head off" meaning in English

See head off in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: heads off [present, singular, third-person], heading off [participle, present], headed off [participle, past], headed off [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} head off (third-person singular simple present heads off, present participle heading off, simple past and past participle headed off)
  1. (intransitive) To begin moving away. Tags: intransitive Translations (to begin moving away): lähteä (Finnish), abhauen (German), starten (German), echarse a andar (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-head_off-en-verb-89WLYA2X Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "off", Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 71 19 2 4 4 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "off": 64 14 5 9 7 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 61 11 6 13 9 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 73 11 4 7 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 81 6 3 6 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 58 16 7 11 8 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 59 15 7 11 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 61 12 6 13 8 Disambiguation of 'to begin moving away': 87 3 1 5 5
  2. (transitive) To intercept. Tags: transitive Synonyms: cut off Derived forms: head off at the pass Related terms: off-heading Translations (to intercept): torjua (Finnish), pysäyttää (Finnish), katkaista tie (Finnish), abfangen (German)
    Sense id: en-head_off-en-verb-Zu~IzsRy Disambiguation of 'to intercept': 6 86 1 4 3
  3. (transitive) To avoid the undesirable consequences of; to prevent. Tags: transitive Translations (to avoid the undesirable consequence of): välttää (Finnish), estää (Finnish), torjua (Finnish), vermeiden (German), verhindern (German)
    Sense id: en-head_off-en-verb-nDntxJv3 Disambiguation of 'to avoid the undesirable consequence of': 5 3 83 5 4
  4. (intransitive) To start out. Tags: intransitive
    Sense id: en-head_off-en-verb-13erLiG8
  5. (nautical) To turn away from the wind. Categories (topical): Nautical
    Sense id: en-head_off-en-verb-5mpkzX51 Topics: nautical, transport

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "heads off",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "heading off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "headed off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "headed off",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "head off (third-person singular simple present heads off, present participle heading off, simple past and past participle headed off)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "71 19 2 4 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 14 5 9 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"off\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "61 11 6 13 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "73 11 4 7 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "81 6 3 6 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "58 16 7 11 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "59 15 7 11 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "61 12 6 13 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We will head off on our holidays tomorrow.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To begin moving away."
      ],
      "id": "en-head_off-en-verb-89WLYA2X",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To begin moving away."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "87 3 1 5 5",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to begin moving away",
          "word": "lähteä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "87 3 1 5 5",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to begin moving away",
          "word": "abhauen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "87 3 1 5 5",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to begin moving away",
          "word": "starten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "87 3 1 5 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to begin moving away",
          "word": "echarse a andar"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0 0",
          "word": "head off at the pass"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The cavalry will head off the bandits at the pass.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To intercept."
      ],
      "id": "en-head_off-en-verb-Zu~IzsRy",
      "links": [
        [
          "intercept",
          "intercept"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To intercept."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0 0",
          "word": "off-heading"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "cut off"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "6 86 1 4 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to intercept",
          "word": "torjua"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 86 1 4 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to intercept",
          "word": "pysäyttää"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 86 1 4 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to intercept",
          "word": "katkaista tie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 86 1 4 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to intercept",
          "word": "abfangen"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The government took steps to head off summertime shortages of gasoline.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017 February 27, Mure Dickie, Henry Mance, “Theresa May’s speech to head off Scottish independence poll”, in Financial Times:",
          "text": "Theresa May will use a speech to the Scottish Conservative conference on Friday to try to head off growing nationalists’ demands for a second independence referendum.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 June 9, Sam Jones, “Podemos and leftist alliance Sumar agree to run jointly in Spain’s snap election”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:",
          "text": "Although the deal, announced hours before the deadline for registering coalitions expired, is intended to head off a split vote and to galvanise leftwing voters against the conservative People’s party (PP), which is leading the polls, there are enduring differences and tensions between Podemos and Sumar.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To avoid the undesirable consequences of; to prevent."
      ],
      "id": "en-head_off-en-verb-nDntxJv3",
      "links": [
        [
          "avoid",
          "avoid"
        ],
        [
          "undesirable",
          "undesirable"
        ],
        [
          "consequence",
          "consequence"
        ],
        [
          "prevent",
          "prevent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To avoid the undesirable consequences of; to prevent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 83 5 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
          "word": "välttää"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 83 5 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
          "word": "estää"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 83 5 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
          "word": "torjua"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 83 5 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
          "word": "vermeiden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 83 5 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
          "word": "verhindern"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 82, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 405:",
          "text": "Perseus, St. George, Hercules, Jonah, and Vishnoo! there’s a member-roll for you! What club but the whaleman’s can head off like that?",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To start out."
      ],
      "id": "en-head_off-en-verb-13erLiG8",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To start out."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To turn away from the wind."
      ],
      "id": "en-head_off-en-verb-5mpkzX51",
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "turn",
          "turn"
        ],
        [
          "wind",
          "wind"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical) To turn away from the wind."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "head off"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"off\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "head off at the pass"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "heads off",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "heading off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "headed off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "headed off",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "head off (third-person singular simple present heads off, present participle heading off, simple past and past participle headed off)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "off-heading"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We will head off on our holidays tomorrow.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To begin moving away."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To begin moving away."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The cavalry will head off the bandits at the pass.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To intercept."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "intercept",
          "intercept"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To intercept."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "cut off"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The government took steps to head off summertime shortages of gasoline.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017 February 27, Mure Dickie, Henry Mance, “Theresa May’s speech to head off Scottish independence poll”, in Financial Times:",
          "text": "Theresa May will use a speech to the Scottish Conservative conference on Friday to try to head off growing nationalists’ demands for a second independence referendum.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 June 9, Sam Jones, “Podemos and leftist alliance Sumar agree to run jointly in Spain’s snap election”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:",
          "text": "Although the deal, announced hours before the deadline for registering coalitions expired, is intended to head off a split vote and to galvanise leftwing voters against the conservative People’s party (PP), which is leading the polls, there are enduring differences and tensions between Podemos and Sumar.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To avoid the undesirable consequences of; to prevent."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "avoid",
          "avoid"
        ],
        [
          "undesirable",
          "undesirable"
        ],
        [
          "consequence",
          "consequence"
        ],
        [
          "prevent",
          "prevent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To avoid the undesirable consequences of; to prevent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 82, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 405:",
          "text": "Perseus, St. George, Hercules, Jonah, and Vishnoo! there’s a member-roll for you! What club but the whaleman’s can head off like that?",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To start out."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To start out."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To turn away from the wind."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "turn",
          "turn"
        ],
        [
          "wind",
          "wind"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical) To turn away from the wind."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to begin moving away",
      "word": "lähteä"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to begin moving away",
      "word": "abhauen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to begin moving away",
      "word": "starten"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to begin moving away",
      "word": "echarse a andar"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to intercept",
      "word": "torjua"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to intercept",
      "word": "pysäyttää"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to intercept",
      "word": "katkaista tie"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to intercept",
      "word": "abfangen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
      "word": "välttää"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
      "word": "estää"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
      "word": "torjua"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
      "word": "vermeiden"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to avoid the undesirable consequence of",
      "word": "verhindern"
    }
  ],
  "word": "head off"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.