1670s, from head (n.) in sense "heading of a book or chapter" (c. 1200) + line (n.). Originally a printers' term for the line at the top of a page containing the title and page number; used of the lines that form the title of a newspaper article from 1890, and transferred unthinkingly to broadcast media. Headlinese "language peculiar to headlines" is from 1927. Headlines "important news" is from 1908.

1891, "one who writes newspaper headlines;" 1896 as "one who stars in a performance;" from headline + -er (1).

newspaper headline word for "ice hockey player," 1939, from puck (n.) + -ster.

"smaller heading or title in a book, chapter, newspaper, etc.," 1875, from sub- + head (n.) in the sense of "heading, headline." Meaning "subordinate section of a subject" is from 1670s.

1825, "a thrust or poke with the point of something," from jab (v.). Meaning "a punch with the fist" is from 1889. Sense of "injection with a hypodermic needle," once beloved by newspaper headline writers, is from 1914.

1712, "one who or that which screams," agent noun from scream (v.). As a type of bird by 1773. By 1831 as "something excellent or exciting." In newspapers, "a large headline" (1890).

late 14c., "mathematician, one who calculates," from Latin calculator, from calculatus, past participle of calculare "to reckon, compute," from calculus "reckoning, account" (see calculus). In reference to mechanical adding machine contraptions from 1784; of electronic ones from 1946.

Electronic calculator uses 18,000 tubes to solve complex problems [Scientific American headline, June 1946]

"graft" (especially to disc jockeys from record companies to play their music), 1938 (in a Variety magazine headline), from pay off "bribery" (underworld slang from 1930) + ending from Victrola, etc. (see Pianola). Compare also plugola "surreptitious promotion of a person or product for a bribe" (1959), from plug (n.) in the advertising sense.

also a-b-c, late 13c. (spelled abece) from the first three letters of it taken as a word (compare alphabet, abecedary, Old French abecé, abecedé "alphabet," 13c.). The sense of "rudiments or fundamentals (of a subject)" is from late 14c. As a shortening of American Broadcasting Company from 1944 (in a Billboard magazine headline), earlier of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1931). Related: ABCs.

"legislator," 1620s, from Greek Solōn, name of the early lawgiver of Athens, later known as one of the seven sages. Often, especially in U.S., applied (with more or less irony) in newspapers to congressmen, township road-masters, etc. It also is more likely to fit in a headline than those words are. Related: Solonian.