Letterhead

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈlɛtə(ɹ)ˌhɛd/

Definitions

1. A printed heading at the top of a sheet of paper, often showing a company name and address
2. The section at the top of official stationery that includes identifying details of an organisation
3. A pre-printed banner on paper used for formal or business correspondence that lists contact information

Etymology: "Letterhead" is a plain compound: "letter" (a written message, in the sense of a document sent to someone) combined with "head" (the top or upper part of something). Together they name the printed heading at the top of a sheet of stationery, the part that carries an organisation's name, address and other identifying details. The sense is literal. A letter was once a sheet written to a correspondent, and the head was the top of that sheet, so the compound describes exactly where the printing sits. The word is a transparent formation built from two everyday English words, with no borrowed or classical element, so its history is essentially the history of the two parts joining into one noun for a printed object.

Synonyms: stationery, header