headgear

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   anything worn on the head, such as a hat, helmet, hood, or ceremonial covering

   The guard's elaborate headgear made him easy to recognize.

2. 2
   noun

   equipment fitted around the head, such as a horse's harness or an orthodontic appliance

   The orthodontist adjusted the child's headgear at each appointment.

3. 3
   noun

   machinery or lifting equipment at the top of a mine shaft

   The mine's steel headgear supported the winding cables above the shaft.

A compound of head + gear. Gear originally meant equipment or apparatus, so headgear developed both the broad clothing sense and specialized senses for harness, orthodontic equipment, and machinery positioned at the head of a mine shaft.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary