heart Definition
heart (härt)
noun
- the hollow, muscular organ in a vertebrate animal that receives blood from the veins and pumps it through the arteries by alternate dilation and contraction
- an analogous part in most invertebrate animals
- the part of the human body thought of as containing the heart; breast; bosom
- any place or part like a heart, in that it is near the center; specif.,
- the central core of a plant or vegetable hearts of celery
- the center or innermost part of a place or region the heart of a city
- the central, vital, or main part; real meaning; essence; core
- the human heart considered as the center or source of emotions, personality attributes, etc.; specif.,
- inmost thought and feeling; consciousness or conscience to know in one's heart
- the source of emotions
- one's emotional nature; disposition to have a kind heart
- any of various humane feelings; love, devotion, sympathy, etc.
- mood; feeling to have a heavy heart
- spirit, resolution, or courage to lose heart
- a person, usually one loved or admired in some specified way he is a valiant heart
- something like a heart in shape; conventionalized design or representation of a heart, shaped like this: ♥
- any of a suit of playing cards marked with such figures in red
- this suit of cards
- ☆ a card game in which the object is either to avoid winning any hearts or the queen of spades, or to win all the hearts and the queen of spades
Etymology: ME herte < OE heorte, akin to Ger herz < IE base *erd-, ṙd-, heart > L cor, (gen. cordis), Gr kardia, OIr cride, Serb sr̈ce
transitive verb
Rare to hearten, or encourage
heart Idioms
after someone's own heart
that suits or pleases someone perfectly
at heart
in one's innermost or hidden nature; secretly or fundamentally
break someone's heart
to cause someone to be overcome with grief or disappointment, often, specif., by rejecting or spurning his or her love or affection
by heart
by or from memorization
change of heart
☆a change of mind, affections, loyalties, etc.
do someone's heart good
to make someone happy; please someone
eat one's heart out
to brood or feel keenly unhappy over some frustration or in regret
from (the bottom of) one's heart
very sincerely or deeply
have a heart
☆to be kind, sympathetic, generous, etc.
have one's heart in one's mouth
or have one's heart in one's bootsto be full of fear or nervous anticipation
have one's heart in the right place
to be well-intentioned or well-meaning
heart and soul
with all one's effort, enthusiasm, etc.
in one's heart of hearts
in one's innermost nature or deepest feelings; fundamentally
lose one's heart (to)
to fall in love (with)
near someone's heart
dear or important to someone
set someone's heart at rest
to cause someone to set aside doubts, fears, or worries
set one's heart on
to have a fixed desire for; long for
steal someone's heart
to cause someone to feel love or affection
take heart
to have more courage or confidence; cheer up
take to heart
- to consider seriously
- to be troubled or grieved by
to one's heart's content
as much as one desires
wear one's heart on one's sleeve
to behave so that one's feelings or affections are plainly evident
with all one's heart
- with complete sincerity, devotion, etc.
- very willingly; with pleasure
with half a heart
halfheartedly
heart Synonyms
heart
n.
The pump in the circulatory system
vital organ, vascular organ, blood pump, cardiac organ, artificial heart, pacemaker, ticker*, clock*; see also organ 2.Feeling
pity, response, sympathy, sensitivity; see emotion, feeling, pity 1.The center
The most important portion
Courage
fortitude, gallantry, spirit; see courage 1, mind 1, soul 4.The breast
after one's own heart
at heart
break one's heart
by heart
change of heart
do one's heart good
eat one's heart out
from the bottom of one's heart
have a heart
have one's heart in one's mouth
have one's heart in the right place
in one's heart of hearts
lay to heart
lose one's heart to
near one's heart
set one's heart at rest
set one's heart on
take heart
take to heart
To consider seriously
take seriously, lay to heart, take into account, believe; see consider 1, 3.To take offense
take personally, be insulted, take the wrong way, take umbrage.
to one's heart's content
as much as one likes, as long as one pleases, until satisfied, sufficiently; see enough 2.To concern oneself with
be affected by, feel deeply, trouble oneself, empathize, sympathize; see also feel 2, understand 1.
wear one's heart on one's sleeve
with all one's heart
with half a heart
heart Usage Examples
Converse of object
- capture: Michael White captured hearts at the Crucible and on tv.
- win: Two years later, he was part of the side that won Hearts ' first Scottish League Championship in more than sixty years.
Adjective modifier
- lonely: These are not websites for lonely hearts, they're for people in search of holiday homes.
- fetal: You can also opt for regular ultrasound scans and fetal heart monitoring if you do not want an induction.
- healthy: A stable Congo could be Africa's healthy heart.
- contrite: The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
- pure: Be observant if thou wouldst have a pure heart, for something is born to thee in consequence of every action.
Modifies a noun
- disease: Being at high risk is a latent stage of coronary heart disease.
- attack: A person having a heart attack will usually complain of a tight pain in the chest.
- failure: Risk factors are: heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, a previous history of blood clots.
- rate: A heart rate monitor is also an essential tool for any workout.
- muscle: The walls of these chambers are mainly made of special heart muscle.
- valve: This is to make sure there is no risk of infection of the heart valves.
Noun used with modifier
- beating: Five hundred years later modern images of a beating heart have proved him right.
- artichoke: For a store cupboard hoummus, process a drained jar of artichoke hearts and a drained can of borlotti beans.
- thy: I revive thy members for thee; I bring thee thy heart, and put it in its place.
Possessives
desire: One is to lose your heart's desire, the other is to gain it.
Possessives
Pharaoh: No, God hardened Pharaoh's heart for His purposes to be fulfilled.
Preposition: of
Browse dictionary entries near heart
- ‹ Hearst
- ‹ hearse
- ‹ hearsay evidence
- ‹ hearsay
- ‹ Hearn
- ‹ hearken
- ‹ hearing-impaired
- ‹ Hearing Carry Over
- ‹ hearing aid
- ‹ hearing

