Dictionary

head-on en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• [ˈhe̝d ˌɔ̟n] ~ [ˈhɪd ˌɔ̟n] (New-Zealand)
• /ˈhed ˌɒn/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈhɛd ˌɔn/ Southern US, Midland US, Philadelphia, Baltimore, without the cot–caught merger
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈhɛd ˌɑn/ (Northern-US, cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈhɛd ˌɔn/ (British, Scotland, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈhɛd ˌɒn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈhed ˌɔn/ (Australia)

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, not-comparable) Direct, abrupt, blunt or unequivocal; not prevaricating; uncompromising
   • In what way do we benefit from speaking of things indirectly? How does such a distancing allow us to better discover - and describe - people and objects? How does distancing produce an effect? Westerners find it natural and normal to meet the world head-on. But what can we gain from approaching the world obliquely? 2000 [1995], François Jullien, “Preface”, in Sophie Hawkes, transl., Detour and Access: Strategies of Meaning in China and Greece [Le Détour et l'accès: Stratégies du sens en Chine, en Grèce], New York: Zone Books, published 2004, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 7:
   • a head-on approach to a problem
2. (not-comparable) Of a collision, from the front or in the direction of motion.
   • Getting into a head-on collision is dangerous.
   • This secondary collision, head-on with a closing speed of 142mph, caused the DVT to veer off to the left. Many of the coaches behind it overturned and careered into an adjacent field. 2021 February 24, Greg Morse, “Great Heck: a tragic chain of events”, in RAIL, number 925, page 39:

Forms

Deriveds

head-on collision

Translations (16)

it di petto (direct, abrupt) · fi nokka- (see nokkakolari) (from the front) · gl frontal (from the front) · de frontal (from the front) · ru лобово́й (from the front) · hu frontális (from the front) · es frontal (from the front) · fr frontal (from the front) · bg челен (from the front) · ru прямолине́йный (direct, abrupt) · fi suorasukainen (direct, abrupt) · it frontale (from the front) · fi suoraviivainen (direct, abrupt) · bg фронтален (from the front) · it di petto (from the front) · pt frontal (from the front)

head-on en · ADV

Pronunciation

• [ˈhe̝d ˌɔ̟n] ~ [ˈhɪd ˌɔ̟n] (New-Zealand)
• /ˈhed ˌɒn/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈhɛd ˌɔn/ Southern US, Midland US, Philadelphia, Baltimore, without the cot–caught merger
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈhɛd ˌɑn/ (Northern-US, cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈhɛd ˌɔn/ (British, Scotland, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈhɛd ˌɒn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈhed ˌɔn/ (Australia)

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) With the front of a vehicle.
   • Wave direction and frequency (period) are two factors that influence the effect of waves on a moored ship. Whether the ship responds by surging, swaying or yawing will depend on whether the waves are striking the moored vessel head-on, beam-on or quartering, the frequency of the waves and the manner in which the tanker is moored. 2015, Duncan Bruce, Tanker Jetty Safety – Management of the Ship/Shore Interface (1st 2015 ed; second ed. January 2022), 1st edition, Witherby Seamanship International, →ISBN, archived from the original on 18 May 2024, 3.1.2:
2. (not-comparable) With direct confrontation.
   • And there is little research to address the issue head on. A previous study, published in 2000, surveyed doctors and found that three quarters of them said some patients addressed them by their first name. 2022 October 13, Gina Kolata, “‘Kind of Awkward’: Doctors Find Themselves on a First-Name Basis”, in The New York Times:
   • During the day conditions worsened quickly—for example, a 2-6-0 on the Uckfield line suddenly encountered flood water high enough to enter its ashpan and extinguish its fire—until lock gates up-river at Barcombe gave way and a tidal wave rolled down the valley meeting head-on a spring tide rolling up from the coast. 1961 January, “Talking of Trains: Flooding at Lewes”, in Trains Illustrated, page 5:

Forms

head-on en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [ˈhe̝d ˌɔ̟n] ~ [ˈhɪd ˌɔ̟n] (New-Zealand)
• /ˈhed ˌɒn/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈhɛd ˌɔn/ Southern US, Midland US, Philadelphia, Baltimore, without the cot–caught merger
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈhɛd ˌɑn/ (Northern-US, cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈhɛd ˌɔn/ (British, Scotland, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈhɛd ˌɒn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈhed ˌɔn/ (Australia)

Meanings

1. A collision from the front.
   • He was injured in a head-on with a larger vehicle.

Forms