Headline
/ˈhed.laɪn/noun
A title or heading printed above an article, especially in a newspaper or online publication.
Did you know?The word combines two ancient image-based concepts—“head” for what is foremost and “line” for a written row—before becoming a newspaper term in the late 19th century.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kaput
“Head; the top or foremost part”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*haubid
“Head”
Old English
OE
hēafod
“Head; the upper or leading part”
Latin
Latin
līnea
“A linen thread or cord; a line”
Middle English
ME
hed / line
“Head or heading paired with a written line”
19th Century
English
headline
“A title or heading printed above a newspaper article”
Modern English
English
headline
“The prominent title of a news article or other piece of content”