/ hiːl; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
PART OF FOOT
1.
[ C ] the back part of the foot below the ankle
—picture at body
PART OF SOCK / SHOE
2.
[ C ] the part of a sock, etc. that covers the heel
3.
[ C ] the raised part on the bottom of a shoe, boot, etc. that makes the shoe, etc. higher at the back :
shoes with a low / high heel
a stiletto heel
The sergeant clicked his heels and walked out.
—picture at court shoe
—compare sole noun (2)
-HEELED
4.
(in adjectives) having the type of heel mentioned :
high-heeled shoes
—see also well heeled
SHOES
5.
heels [ pl. ] a pair of women's shoes that have high heels :
She doesn't often wear heels.
—see also kitten heels
PART OF HAND
6.
[ C ] heel of your hand / palm the raised part of the inside of the hand where it joins the wrist
—picture at hand
UNPLEASANT MAN
7.
[ C ] ( old-fashioned , informal ) a man who is unpleasant to other people and cannot be trusted
—see also Achilles heel , down at heel
•
IDIOMS
- at / on sb's heels
- bring sb/sth to heel
- come to heel
- (hard / hot) on sb's / sth's heels
- take to your heels
- turn / spin on your heel
- under the heel of sb
—more at cool verb , dig verb , drag verb , head noun , kick verb , tread verb
■ verb
REPAIR SHOE
1.
[ vn ] to repair the heel of a shoe, etc.
OF BOAT
2.
[ v ] heel (over) to lean over to one side :
The boat heeled over in the strong wind.
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun and verb sense 1 Old English hēla , hǣla , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hiel .
verb sense 2 late 16th cent.: from obsolete heeld , hield incline , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hellen .