Meaning & use
headband
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Meanings
nouncountable
A strip of fabric, plastic, or elastic worn around the head, often to keep hair away from the face or as a decoration.
Grammar: Countable; use a/an or plural -s: a headband, two headbands.
Patterns
- wear a headband
- put on a headband
- a headband in a color
She wore a red headband to keep her hair out of her eyes while playing tennis.
He bought a leather headband at the market.
The team's headbands were all the same shade of blue.
nouncountabletechnical
A device with a band that goes around the head, often holding small speakers or a light.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'with' to describe the feature: a headband with lights.
Patterns
- a headband with speakers
- an LED headband
The new headband lets you listen to music without earphones.
Miners used to wear headbands with lamps attached.
Word forms
| plural | headbands |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a headband
- She always wears a headband when she goes running.
- a wide headband
- The wide headband covered her ears.
- a sports headband
- He put on a sports headband to soak up sweat.
- a headband with a bow
- The little girl chose a headband with a pink bow.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hairband
- Hairband is more common in British English for a band that holds hair back; headband is the usual American term.
- bandana
- A bandana is a large square cloth tied around the head, often with a pattern; a headband is usually a narrow strip.
Commonly confused: headband or headphones?
headband vs headphones
Headphones cover or go in your ears to listen to sound; a headband is a band around the head, though some headphones have a headband part.
Practice
She tied a colorful ___ around her head to keep her hair back.
Choose one answer.
A headband is worn around the head to hold hair; headphones are for listening, a handbag is carried, and a hairbrush is a tool for brushing hair.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “headband”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.