Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A protective covering for the head.
  • noun A set of headphones; a headset.
  • noun An ornamental design, especially at the top of a page.
  • noun The seat of intelligence; brains.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A helmet; specifically, an open helmet such as was worn after the abandonment of the armet; also, a hat; head-gear. See morion, cabasset, burganet.
  • noun The head; especially, the head as the seat of the understanding; hence, intelligence; judgment.
  • noun A decorative engraving placed at the top of the first page of a book, or at the beginning of a chapter, etc.; a head-band.
  • noun The figurehead, scroll-piece, or fiddle-head under a vessel's bowsprit.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Head.
  • noun A cap of defense; especially, an open one, as distinguished from the closed helmet of the Middle Ages.
  • noun Understanding; mental faculty.
  • noun An engraved ornament at the head of a chapter, or of a page.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The head; the brain.
  • noun Something covering the head.
  • noun Protecting cover for the head; a helmet.
  • noun A headset.
  • noun A headstall.
  • noun A decorative page heading.
  • noun The top piece or part of various things.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a protective helmet for the head
  • noun the band that is the part of a bridle that fits around a horse's head

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

head +‎ piece

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Examples

  • The operator of this fine headpiece is a little hamster who tells me he is my conscience, but he doesn't bother me such since he only squeaks L33T.

    Gaze Upon m4H Aw3S0m3SAuc3! 2010

  • The operator of this fine headpiece is a little hamster who tells me he is my conscience, but he doesn't bother me such since he only squeaks L33T.

    Archive 2010-01-01 2010

  • The headpiece was a gauge with eyeholes at “110” and “120.”

    Some Assembly Required Lynn Kiele Bonasia 2008

  • His headpiece was a plain morion, dented and battered.

    The Conan Chronicles Howard, Robert E. 1989

  • His headpiece was a plain morion, dented and battered.

    The Hour Of The Dragon Howard, Robert E. 1977

  • His headpiece was a plain morion, dented and battered.

    The Hour of the Dragon Howard, Robert E. 1977

  • Bare-headed the combatants engaged, and the headpiece was the chief point of attack.

    Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith George Meredith 1868

  • Bare-headed the combatants engaged, and the headpiece was the chief point of attack.

    Complete Short Works of George Meredith George Meredith 1868

  • Bare-headed the combatants engaged, and the headpiece was the chief point of attack.

    Farina George Meredith 1868

  • A triangular shield hung at his back, and his headpiece was a simple peaked helmet of iron, with a prolongation in front that guarded his nose.

    Erling the Bold 1859

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