I. ˈhärt, ˈhȧt, usu -d.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English hert, from Old English heorte; akin to Old High German herza heart, Old Norse hjarta, Gothic hairto, Latin cord-, cor, Old Irish cride, Greek kardia, Armenian sirt, Hittite karts
1.
a. : a hollow muscular organ of vertebrate animals that by its rhythmic contraction acts as a force pump maintaining the circulation of the blood, is in the human adult about five inches long and three and one half broad, of conical form, is placed obliquely in the chest with the broad end upward and to the right and the apex opposite the interval between the cartilages of the fifth and sixth ribs on the left side, is enclosed in a serous pericardium, and consists as in other mammals and in birds of four chambers divided into an upper pair of rather thin-walled auricles which receive blood from the veins and a lower pair of thick-walled ventricles into which the blood is forced and which in turn pump it into the arteries, back flow being prevented by valves, or in lower forms is less perfectly differentiated, having usually two auricles and one ventricle in reptiles and amphibians and but a single auricle and ventricle in most fishes
b. : a structure in an invertebrate animal functionally analogous to the vertebrate heart: as
(1) : a contractile ventricle with one to four thin-walled auricles that circulates the body fluid of most mollusks
(2) : a contractile tube in most arthropods that receives blood from an investing pericardial sinus through openings provided with valves and circulates it forward and peripherally in the body
(3) : any of a series of paired pulsating anterior blood vessels connecting the main dorsal and ventral blood vessels of certain annelids
c. : breast , bosom
could have hugged him to my heart — W.M.Thackeray
d. : something resembling a heart in shape:
(1) : a conventionalized representation of a heart (as a decorative figure or a trinket)
(2) : a red conventionalized figure of a heart stamped on a playing card
(3) : a heart-shaped block through which a lanyard is reeved to extend stays
(4) : the heart-shaped part of a pound net placed at the end of the leader to direct fish into the pot
(5) : a foundry molder's heart-shaped trowel
(6) hearts plural but singular in construction : a wood sorrel ( Oxalis montana )
2.
a. : a playing card marked with a conventionalized figure of a heart
b. hearts plural : the suit comprising cards so marked
c. : an odd bridge trick won or contracted for when hearts are trumps
d. hearts plural but singular in construction : a game resembling whist in which the object is to avoid taking tricks containing hearts and often other specified cards
3.
a.
(1) : the whole personality including intellectual as well as emotional functions or traits
come from the heart that is gay, warm, friendly, and enthusiastic — Constance Foster
I say what is in my heart
deep in your own heart , you share my prejudice — Walter de la Mare
each man knew in his heart that it was a lie — L.B.Salomon
(2) obsolete : intellect , understanding
(3) : memory , rote — used in the phrase by heart
got the whole poem by heart
knew the town's 500 telephone numbers by heart — Peg Bracken
(4) : opinion , attitude , posture — used chiefly in the phrase change of heart
two aspects to the Soviet change of heart on the Austrian treaty — T.P.Whitney
b.
(1) : the emotional or moral as distinguished from the intellectual nature : conscience , character , spirit
has a good heart but a weak head
who can look into the heart of a man
his heart dictated one course, his reason another
(2) : generous disposition : sensibility , compassion , feelings
have you no heart
Oh, have a heart , lend me a dollar
(3) : hardness or flintiness of character or temper : unfeeling disposition — usually used with have in negative construction
he loved his wife; he had not the heart to deny her anything — Clara Morris
hadn't the heart … to refuse to come — Ellen Glasgow
(4) : temperament , disposition , mood
went home with a heavy heart
are not inclined to regard free-trade agitation with a light heart — Dun's Review
(5) : goodwill , willingness , sincerity , zeal — used chiefly in the phrase with all my heart
will do it for you with all my heart
c. : love , affections
he lost his heart to her at once
laid his heart at her feet
a free public-school system … was one thing that lay near his heart — A.W.Long
his speeches won him hearts from coast to coast — William Clark
d. : courage , ardor , enthusiasm
don't lose heart ; all will turn out well
felt some sinking of the heart
an unsatisfactory … student, for my heart was not in it — W.S.Maugham
put heart into me by what you say — O.W.Holmes †1935
at the sight of reinforcements, the dispirited soldiers took heart
lost all heart for my silly chase — Arthur Grimble
many a people has kept itself in heart when its statesmen have despaired — W.B.Adams
e.
(1) : taste , liking
likes music but has no heart for grand opera
— used chiefly in the phrase after one's own heart
a man after his own heart
(2) : fixed purpose or desire : ardent wish — now used chiefly in the phrase set one's heart on
set his heart on getting a new car
(3) : intense concern, solicitude, or preoccupation — used chiefly in the phrase at heart
people who are unaware of the issue which he has at heart — J.H.Robinson
with victory secured, there was one other thing that he had at heart
f. : one's innermost being : one's innermost or actual character, disposition, or feelings — used chiefly in the phrases at heart
at heart a sensitive high-strung man
and heart of hearts
assisting those who in their heart of hearts are … implacably anti-American — Perry Miller
in his heart of hearts I do not think he ever really surrenders faith — Edward Wagenknecht
4. : person
two young hearts had been freed … from the burden of guilt and suspicion — Agnes S. Turnbull
— usually used with a qualifier
poor heart ! who would relieve her wants now
farewell, dear heart
5. : the central or decisive part of something : center: as
a. : an inner central area or region
a system of waterways extending into the heart of No. America
b. : an essential part : the part that determines the real nature of something or gives significance to the other parts : the determining aspect
the discernment and understanding with which he penetrates to the heart and essence of the problem — B.N.Cardozo
those words of Jesus show us the heart of Easter's meaning — W.F.Hambly
c. : the center of activity : a vital part on which continuing activity or existence depends
Rome was the heart and pulse of the empire — John Buchan
d. : heartwood
e. : core 1h
f. : the younger central compact part of a leafy rosette (as a stalk of celery or a head of lettuce)
6. chiefly Britain : condition for bearing crops : fertility — used chiefly in the phrase in good heart
the land has never been in better heart — S.P.B.Mais
Synonyms: see center
•
- to heart
- to one's heart's content
[s]heart.jpg[/s] [
heart 1a: 1 aorta, 2 pulmonary artery, 3 left atrium, 4 left ventricle, 5 right ventricle, 6 right atrium
]
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English herten, from Old English hiertan, from heorte, n.
transitive verb
1. archaic : to give heart to hearten , encourage , inspirit
2. : to fix or seat in the heart
3. : to fill in (as a wall) with rubble or similar material
intransitive verb
: to form a compact center or heart ; specifically : to develop a head (as of lettuce and cabbage)
III.
dialect
variant of hearth