verb. When a person puts their headphones on and pretends to be listening to music, when in reality they are listening to the conversation around them. This is done for the headphoners benefit. You can find out all sorts of interesting information previously unavailable..
I headphone when at the nurse's office when people are getting weighed, talking about their problems, and also at my Mom's church meetings..
When someone is wearing headphones and is completely unresponsive to the outside world. Headphone zombies often travel in packs, but rarely communicate or associate with one another. It is not yet determined whether they feed on brains or popular music, or both.
When you listen to a song you like in public but would be embarassed or emasculated if someone knew you where listening to it, so you pull your head phones down and check to make sure they aren't loud enough for other people to hear your music. Usaully if too loud you lower the volume or switch songs to avoid getting called gay if some one where to hear.
guy1 " dude did you see that guy during study hall he pulled a headphone check"
Guy2 " yeah I was sitting next while he was listening to Britney spears he pulled a headphone check to confirm his fear that I could her what he was listening to.