n.
Pronunciation: ' h ē v
Function: verb
Inflected Form: heaved or hove \ ' h ō v \ ; heav · ing
Etymology: Middle English heven, from Old English hebban; akin to Old High German hevan to lift, Latin capere to take
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1 obsolete : ELEVATE
2 : LIFT , RAISE < heaved the trunk onto the table>
3 : THROW , CAST < heaving rocks>
4 a : to cause to swell or rise b : to displace (as a rock stratum) especially by a fault
5 : to utter with obvious effort or with a deep breath < heave a sigh of relief>
6 : HAUL , DRAW
intransitive verb
1 : LABOR , STRUGGLE
2 : RETCH
3 a : to rise and fall rhythmically b : PANT
4 a : PULL , PUSH < heaving on a rope> b : to move a ship in a specified direction or manner c past usually hove : to move in an indicated way <the ship hove into view>
5 : to rise or become thrown or raised up
synonyms see LIFT
– heav · er noun
– heave to : to halt the headway of a ship (as by positioning a sailboat with the jib aback and the rudder turned sharply to windward)