heart Hear it!

heart definition

heart (härt)

noun

    1. 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
    2. an analogous part in most invertebrate animals
  2. the part of the human body thought of as containing the heart; breast; bosom
  3. any place or part like a heart, in that it is near the center; specif.,
    1. the central core of a plant or vegetable hearts of celery
    2. the center or innermost part of a place or region the heart of a city
  4. the central, vital, or main part; real meaning; essence; core
  5. the human heart considered as the center or source of emotions, personality attributes, etc.; specif.,
    1. inmost thought and feeling; consciousness or conscience to know in one's heart
    2. the source of emotions
    3. one's emotional nature; disposition to have a kind heart
    4. any of various humane feelings; love, devotion, sympathy, etc.
    5. mood; feeling to have a heavy heart
    6. spirit, resolution, or courage to lose heart
  6. a person, usually one loved or admired in some specified way he is a valiant heart
  7. something like a heart in shape; conventionalized design or representation of a heart, shaped like this: ♥
    1. any of a suit of playing cards marked with such figures in red
    2. this suit of cards
    3. ☆ 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 boots
to 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

  1. to consider seriously
  2. 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

  1. with complete sincerity, devotion, etc.
  2. very willingly; with pleasure

with half a heart

halfheartedly

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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