headline

From head +‎ line.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhɛd.laɪn/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛdlaɪn

headline (plural headlines)

1. (journalism) The heading or title of a magazine or newspaper article.

   Synonyms: hed, lead

   The headline on today's newspaper reads "John Doe Wins Wood-Splitting Competition."

   • 1985, Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, Chris Hughes, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, in Songs from the Big Chair‎^[1], performed by Tears for Fears:

     Say that you'll never, never, never, never need it
     One headline, why believe it?
     Everybody wants to rule the world

   • 2013 June 22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist‎^[2], volume 407, number 8841, page 76:

     Risk is everywhere. From tabloid headlines insisting that coffee causes cancer (yesterday, of course, it cured it) to stern government warnings about alcohol and driving, the world is teeming with goblins. For each one there is a frighteningly precise measurement of just how likely it is to jump from the shadows and get you.

2. (printing, dated) The line at the top of a page containing the folio or number of the page.
3. (entertainment) The top-billed attraction.

   Synonym: headliner

4. (nautical) A headrope.
5. This term needs a definition. Please help out and add a definition, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

• (heading): byline, dateline

• Glossary of journalism: Article components

headline (third-person singular simple present headlines, present participle headlining, simple past and past participle headlined)

1. To give a headline to a page or section of a text.
   • 1974 February 2, Charles Bonnell, “Typewriter In Hand”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 32, page 4:

     Once again I take typewriter in hand to express my opinion on two very different issues. Good luck in deciding what to headline this letter.

2. (transitive, intransitive, entertainment) To present as the main attraction; to have top billing, to be the main attraction.

• headliner