[hed-kwawr-terz, -kwaw-] 
) | 1. | a center of operations, as of the police or a business, from which orders are issued; the chief administrative office of an organization: The operatives were always in touch with headquarters. |
| 2. | the offices or working location of a military commander; the place from which a commander customarily issues orders. |
| 3. | a military unit consisting of the commander, his staff, and other assistants. |
[hed-kwawr-ter, -kwaw-] | 1. | to situate in headquarters. |
| 2. | to establish one's headquarters. |
| head·quar·ter (hěd'kwôr'tər) v. head·quar·tered, head·quar·ter·ing, head·quar·ters Usage Problem v. tr. To provide with headquarters: "Despite the derivation of its name, the former Texas Oil Company is headquartered in White Plains, New York" (New Republic). v. intr. To establish headquarters. Usage Note: The verb headquarter occurs in both transitive and intransitive senses: The magazine has headquartered the reporter in a building that houses many foreign journalists. The European correspondent will headquarter in Paris. In an earlier survey a majority of the Usage Panel found both these examples to be unacceptable in formal writing. Although ample citational evidence exists for these usages, writers who wish to avoid criticism should consider the use of alternative expressions, for example: The magazine has just assigned the reporter to (or has stationed the reporter in) a building that houses many foreign journalists. The European correspondent will make her headquarters in Paris (or will make Paris her headquarters). |
| head·quar·ters (hěd'kwôr'tərz) pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)
Usage Note: The noun headquarters is used with either a singular or a plural verb. The plural is more common: The corporation's headquarters are in Boston. But when reference is to authority rather than to physical location, many people prefer the singular: Division headquarters has approved the new benefits package. |