head count
- noun
- /hɛd kaʊnt/
- At the annual family reunion, they always do a head count to see how many people are attending.
But the first port of call for many is OK, cut head count, cut quality, reduce pay, you know, get rid of this benefit.
- But the first port of call for many is OK, cut head count, cut quality, reduce pay, you know, get rid of this benefit.
- Sure as shit, three guys and not two had my full head count ran back and we released the first fire mission on the House behind us.
Examples
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Collins, confirm the head count.
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Wait, we didn't do a head count.
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Get ready, everyone, we're going! - Do a head count.
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- Have you done a head count?
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I also need a head count.
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I need a head count.
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We need to get a final head count on that.
Blog text (32) -
So let's do a head count.
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Physical head count shows all inmates present.
Fiction book (2000) -
They took a head count on the boat.
Synonyms
The number of things or people that have been counted
The number of people who come to an event, meeting, or election
The number of people present at an event
The number of people in a place at one time
The number of people present in a group, company, or event
A quick check of how many people are present to see attendance or support
Antonyms
How Many
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the number of people present' is directly and compositionally derived from 'head' used as a counting unit (one person) combined with 'count' (to tally). This is a common, literal noun-noun/verb-derived construction found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Head count comes from the simple image of counting people's heads. When a teacher or leader looks around and counts each head to get a count, it means 'the number of people present'.