o|ver|head

o|ver|head¹ «adverb. _OH vuhr HEHD; adjective, noun. OH vuhr _HEHD», adverb, adjective, noun.

–adv.

1. over the head; on high; far above: »

the stars overhead, the flag overhead, birds flying overhead. Overhead was a gray expanse of cloud (Hawthorne).

SYNONYM(S): aloft.

2. on the floor above; just above: »

the family overhead, people dancing overhead.

–adj.

placed above; placed high up; being, working, or passing overhead: »

overhead wires; overhead lighting.

–n.

1. a tennis stroke made with an overhand motion downward from above the head: »

She never went to the net voluntarily, though she won with her overhead when drawn in (New York Times).

2. = overhead projector. (Cf. ↑overhead projector)

o|ver|head² «OH vuhr _HEHD», noun, adjective.

–n.

general expenses including rent, lighting, heating, taxes, and repairs. Overhead is the charges of a business which cannot be charged against a particular operation.

–adj.

of or having to do with overhead in business: »

overhead charges or expenses.

o|ver|head³ «OH vuhr _HEHD», adjective.

Especially British. applying to one and all; general: »

an overhead tax.

╂[Middle English overheved, Old English ofer hēafod, in the earlier sense of “taking everything together”]