I. heat 1 S2 W2 /hiːt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ heat , ↑ heater , ↑ heating ; verb : ↑ heat , ↑ overheat ; adverb : ↑ heatedly ; adjective : ↑ heated ≠ UNHEATED ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: hætu ]
1 . WARMTH [uncountable] warmth or the quality of being hot:
Ice needs heat to melt.
Insulating the attic is a good way to reduce heat loss.
2 . the heat very hot weather or a high temperature:
The heat was making them tired.
Angela liked to rest during the heat of the day (=the hottest part of the day) .
Firefighters were beaten back by the intense heat.
3 . IN COOKING [countable usually singular, uncountable] the level of temperature used when cooking or heating something
(a) low/medium/high heat
Cook the chicken portions over a high heat.
turn off/down/up the heat
When the milk comes to the boil, turn off the heat.
Now reduce the heat and cover the pan.
4 . STRONG FEELINGS [uncountable] strong feelings, especially anger or excitement:
Reconciliation services can take the heat out of (=reduce the anger in) the dispute.
in the heat of something
Quick decisions had to be made in the heat of the negotiations.
In the heat of the moment (=when feelings were very strong) Nick threatened to resign.
5 . PRESSURE [uncountable] strong pressure on someone:
The heat is on (=there is a lot of pressure) as schools struggle to finish their entries by the deadline.
The team turned up the heat (=used more effort against their opponents) in the last few minutes to score two more goals.
There was a lot of heat, and it affected our relationship.
6 . SYSTEM TO HEAT BUILDING [uncountable] American English the system in a house or other building that keeps it warm in the winter, or the warmth from this system SYN heating British English :
Can you turn up the heat?
7 . IN A RACE [countable] a part of a race or competition whose winners then compete against each other in the next part:
Bill finished second in his heat.
8 . on heat British English , in heat American English if a female animal is on heat, her body is ready to have sex with a male
⇨ ↑ dead heat , ↑ white heat , ⇨ if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen at ↑ stand 1 (16)
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ the intense/extreme heat
She was in need of a cooling drink in the intense heat.
▪ the searing/stifling/sweltering/scorching etc heat (=extreme heat)
The desert is a place of scorching heat by day and bitter cold by night.
▪ dry heat
The earth had cracked in the endless dry heat.
▪ humid heat (=when the weather is hot and damp)
the humid heat of a tropical forest
▪ tropical heat (=the warm, damp weather in the hottest parts of the world)
He stepped off the plane into the tropical heat.
▪ the midday heat
The air shimmered in the midday heat.
▪ the summer heat
He went indoors to escape the summer heat.
▪ 80/90 etc degree heat
Why would you want to play tennis in a hundred-degree heat?
■ phrases
▪ the heat of the day
The locals retreat to their cool houses and sleep during the heat of the day.
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THESAURUS
■ part of a competition
▪ round one of the parts of a competition that you have to finish or win before you can go on to the next part:
Henman lost in the second round of the competition.
▪ heat one of several races or competitions whose winners then compete against each other:
She came second in her heat, with a time of 23.2 seconds.
II. heat 2 S3 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ heat , ↑ heater , ↑ heating ; verb : ↑ heat , ↑ overheat ; adverb : ↑ heatedly ; adjective : ↑ heated ≠ UNHEATED ]
to make something become warm or hot SYN warm up :
Heat the milk until it boils.
heat something through phrasal verb
to heat food thoroughly
heat up phrasal verb
1 . to become warm or hot, or to make something become warm or hot:
The stove takes a while to heat up.
heat something ↔ up
I heated up the remains of last night’s supper.
2 . if a situation heats up, it becomes dangerous or full of problems