the uppermost or foremost part of the body of an animal. See ANATOMY, Part I. sect. ii.

Head-Ach, a most troublesome sensation in the head, produced by various causes, and attended with different symptoms, according to its different degrees and the place where it is seated. See (the Index subjoined to) MEDICINE.

Dragon's Head, in astronomy, is the ascending node of the moon or other planet.

Head of a Ship, an ornamental figure erected on the continuation of a ship's stem, as being expressive of her name, and emblematical of war, navigation, commerce, &c.

Head, is also used in a more enlarged sense to signify the whole front or forepart of the ship, including the bows on each side: the head therefore opens the column of water through which the ship passes when advancing. Hence we say, head-falls, head-fea, head-way, &c.

Thus, fig. 1. Plate CCXXVI. represents one side of the fore part or head of a 74 gunship, together with part of the bow, keel, and gunnel. The names of the several pieces, exhibited therein, are as follow:

AA Fore-part of the keel, with aa the two false keels beneath it.

AC the stem.

aa The cat-head.

bb The supporter of the cat-head.

cc The knight-head, or bollard-timber, of which there is one on each side, to secure the inner end of the bowsprit.

dd The hause-holes.

ee The naval-hoods, i.e. thick pieces of plank laid upon the bow to strengthen the edges of the hause holes.

ff The davit-chock, by which the davit is firmly wedged while employed to fish the anchor.

g The bulk-head, which terminates the forecastle on the fore side, being called the beak-head bulk-head by shipwrights,

H The gun-ports of the lower deck.

b The gun-ports of the upper deck and forecastle.

I, I, The channels, with their dead-eyes and chain-plates.

i The gripe, or fore-foot, which unites the keel with the stem, forming a part of either.

kk These dotted lines represent the thickness and descent of the different decks from the fore-part of the ship towards the middle. The lowest of the three dot- ted lines expresses the convexity of the beams, or the difference between the height of the deck in the middle of its breadth and at the ship's side. This is also exhibited more clearly in the Midship-Frame; where the red curve of the beam is delineated. N. B. These lines must be always parallel to the lines which terminate the gun-ports above and below.

mm The timbers of the head, and part of the bowsprit.

X The rails of the head which lie across the timbers.

QZ Fore-part of the main-wale.

RX Fore-part of the channel-wale.

UC The load water-line.

Fig. 2. represents a head-view of a ship, with the projection of her principal timbers, and all her planks laid on one side.

It is evident that the fore-part of a ship is called its head, from the affinity of motion and position it bears to a fish, and in general to the horizontal situation of all animals whilst swimming.

By the Head; the state of a ship, which is laden deeper at the fore-end than the after-end.