head ramming

plural head rammings

1. countableuncountablebiologySynonym of headbutting; a physical behavior where animals smash their heads or horns together, primarily seen in bighorn sheep, musk oxen, and goats to establish social dominance, compete for mates, and defend territory.

   Animals like woodpeckers and head-ramming sheep manage to protect their brains from damage, the researchers point out. So why can't we? Of course, in our case the head ramming is in the name of fun. But there might be ways to safeguard our brains, like these animals do, from the inside out.

   2013 December 17, Elizabeth Preston, “Higher Altitude Protects Teens from Concussions”, in Discover

   1 more example

   When sperm whale researcher Rui Prieto shouted “head ramming!” during a routine day of research off the coast of Spain, the scientific team on board was understandably excited. After all, this type of whale behavior is rarely witnessed, let alone documented. [...] But when drone footage captured some of the whales headbutting each other, the researchers’ attention shifted. The drones recorded three instances of sperm whales engaging in head ramming behavior. This marked the first time scientists had ever documented this long-reported behavior on video.

   2026 April 13, Beth Wegerer, “Scientists Finally Catch Sperm Whales Headbutting on Camera”, in A-Z Animals

   Synonyms: headbutting

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of head ram