head banging

A type of dance movement that involves the violent shaking of one’s head in time with music, especially heavy metal.

Health effects
Violent head banging has been linked to strokes, whiplash injury and severe headaches.

head bang·ing

(hed bang'ing)

Behavior that appears in up to 20% of normal children in the latter half of the first year of life and ends spontaneously by about 4 years of age; more common in boys.

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

head banging

1. A dangerous form of dancing in which the head is shaken vigorously and rapidly in a flapping manner. This can cause serious brain or other internal injury from over-stressed structures and has been the cause of several deaths.

2. A generally harmless activity engaged in by babies impressed by the effect it has on parents.

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Live shows are an experience to behold and with each band member at the top of their game, fans better get ready to do a whole lot of head banging.

Singing with the metal wolves

Met many other like minded people who were also into Metal and Hard Rock, I often think if they're still head banging it would be good to turn back the clock.

Poets' corner

A distinctive feature of this style is the head banging, for which many dancers grow long hair.

Pashtun moves

BIRMINGHAM needs to indulge in "good diplomacy," "head banging" and "backside kicking" if it is to deliver regional devolution for the Midlands.

Norris calls for city devolution; INSIDE BIZ

According to AL Jaras magazine, Ahlam spoke to the head banging incident by saying, "The topic of banning my head in the wall made me laugh why were you guys with me at the time?

She cray-cray, but she's not crazy! Ahlam laughs off mental rumors

How he cannot help banging his head banging and banging his head, though

Though We Cannot See Him, We Think of Him

More common in boys than in girls, childhood head banging usually starts when the child is age 18 months, but he (she) should grow out of it by age 4.

Head banging: cause for worry, or normal childhood development?

Metal, punk, anything that involves more head banging and less hip shaking.

CLUBBING

As the remaining celebs prepare themselves to rock like they've never rocked before, the cast of London's musical Rock of Ages will get the party started with an energetic number guaranteed to get your toes tapping and your head banging. At the end of the show another celeb along with his or her partner will hang up their skates for good as the judges decide which of the final two will go through to next week's round.

What to WATCH

They've tightened up their sound and brought back a little of the heaviness of their earlier material - just try to resist whipping out the air guitar and head banging to Let's Rock.

MUSIC