Lexic.us

Definition of Heart

1. Noun. The locus of feelings and intuitions. "Her story would melt your bosom"

2. Noun. The hollow muscular organ located behind the sternum and between the lungs; its rhythmic contractions move the blood through the body. "He stood still, his heart thumping wildly"

3. Noun. The courage to carry on. "You haven't got the heart for baseball"

4. Noun. An area that is approximately central within some larger region. "They were in the eye of the storm"

5. Noun. The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience. "The nub of the story"

6. Noun. An inclination or tendency of a certain kind. "He had a change of heart"

7. Noun. A plane figure with rounded sides curving inward at the top and intersecting at the bottom; conventionally used on playing cards and valentines. "He drew a heart and called it a valentine"

8. Noun. A firm rather dry variety meat (usually beef or veal). "A five-pound beef heart will serve six"

9. Noun. A positive feeling of liking. "The warmness of his welcome made us feel right at home"

10. Noun. A playing card in the major suit that has one or more red hearts on it. "Hearts were trumps"

Definition of Heart

1. n. A hollow, muscular organ, which, by contracting rhythmically, keeps up the circulation of the blood.

2. v. t. To give heart to; to hearten; to encourage; to inspirit.

3. v. i. To form a compact center or heart; as, a hearting cabbage.

Definition of Heart

1. Noun. (anatomy) A muscular organ that pumps blood through the body, traditionally thought to be the seat of emotion. ¹

2. Noun. Emotions, kindness, moral effort, or spirit in general. ¹

3. Noun. A conventional shape or symbol used to represent the heart, love, or emotion: ? or sometimes <3. ¹

4. Noun. A playing card of the suit hearts featuring one or more heart-shaped symbols. ¹

5. Noun. The centre, essence, or core. ¹

6. Verb. (transitive poetic or humorous) To be fond of. Often bracketed or abbreviated with a heart symbol. ¹

7. Verb. (transitive, obsolete) To encourage. ¹

8. Verb. (transitive masonry) To fill an interior with rubble, as a wall or a breakwater. ¹

9. Verb. (intransitive agriculture botany) To form a dense cluster of leaves, a heart, especially of lettuce or cabbage. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Heart

1. to hearten [v -ED, -ING, -S] - See also: hearten

Medical Definition of Heart

1. To give heart to; to hearten; to encourage; to inspirit. "My cause is hearted; thine hath no less reason." (Shak) To form a compact center or heart; as, a hearting cabbage. 1. A hollow, muscular organ, which, by contracting rhythmically, keeps up the circulation of the blood. "Why does my blood thus muster to my heart!" (Shak) In adult mammals and birds, the heart is four-chambered, the right auricle and ventricle being completely separated from the left auricle and ventricle; and the blood flows from the systematic veins to the right auricle, thence to the right ventricle, from which it is forced to the lungs, then returned to the left auricle, thence passes to the left ventricle, from which it is driven into the systematic arteries. In fishes there are but one auricle and one ventricle, the blood being pumped from the ventricle through the gills to the system, and thence returned to the auricle. In most amphibians and reptiles, the separation of the auricles is partial or complete, and in reptiles the ventricles also are separated more or less completely. The so-called lymph hearts, found in many amphibians, reptiles, and birds, are contractile sacs, which pump the lymph into the veins. 2. The seat of the affections or sensibilities, collectively or separately, as love, hate, joy, grief, courage, and the like; rarely, the seat of the understanding or will; usually in a good sense, when no epithet is expressed; the better or lovelier part of our nature; the spring of all our actions and purposes; the seat of moral life and character; the moral affections and character itself; the individual disposition and character; as, a good, tender, loving, bad, hard, or selfish heart. "Hearts are dust, hearts' loves remain." (Emerson) 3. The nearest the middle or center; the part most hidden and within; the inmost or most essential part of any body or system; the source of life and motion in any organization; the chief or vital portion; the center of activity, or of energetic or efficient action; as, the heart of a country, of a tree, etc. "Exploits done in the heart of France." (Shak) "Peace subsisting at the heart Of endless agitation." (Wordsworth) 4. Courage; courageous purpose; spirit. "Eve, recovering heart, replied." (Milton) "The expelled nations take heart, and when they fly from one country invade another." (Sir W. Temple) 5. Vigorous and efficient activity; power of fertile production; condition of the soil, whether good or bad. "That the spent earth may gather heart again." (Dryden) 6. That which resembles a heart in shape; especially, a roundish or oval figure or object having an obtuse point at one end, and at the other a corresponding indentation, used as a symbol or representative of the heart. 7. One of a series of playing cards, distinguished by the figure or figures of a heart; as, hearts are trumps. 8. Vital part; secret meaning; real intention. "And then show you the heart of my message." (Shak) 9. A term of affectionate or kindly and familiar address. "I speak to thee, my heart." Heart is used in many compounds, the most of which need no special explanation; as, heart-appalling, heart-breaking, heart-cheering, heart-chilled, heart-expanding, heart-free, heart-hardened, heart-heavy, heart-purifying, heart-searching, heart-sickening, heart-sinking, heart-stirring, heart-touching, heart-wearing, heart-whole, heart-wounding, heart-wringing, etc. After one's own heart, conforming with one's inmost approval and desire; as, a friend after my own heart. "The Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart." (1 Sam. Xiii. 14) at heart, in the inmost character or disposition; at bottom; really; as, he is at heart a good man. By heart, in the closest or most thorough manner; as, to know or learn by heart. "Composing songs, for fools to get by heart" (that is, to commit to memory, or to learn thoroughly). For my heart, for my life; if my life were at stake. "I could not get him for my heart to do it." . Heart bond, any heartshaped, spatangoid sea urchin. See Spatangoid. Heart wheel, a form of cam, shaped like a heart. See Cam. In good heart, in good courage; in good hope. Out of heart, discouraged. Poor heart, an exclamation of pity. To break the heart of. To bring to despair or hopeless grief; to cause to be utterly cast down by sorrow. To bring almost to completion; to finish very nearly; said of anything undertaken; as, he has broken the heart of the task. To find in the heart, to be willing or disposed. "I could find in my heart to ask your pardon." . To have at heart, to desire (anything) earnestly. To have in the heart, to purpose; to design or intend to do. To have the heart in the mouth, to be much frightened. To lose heart, to become discouraged. To lose one's heart, to fall in love. To set the heart at rest, to put one's self at ease. To set the heart upon, to fix the desires on; to long for earnestly; to be very fond of. To take heart of grace, to take courage. To take to heart, to grieve over. To wear one's heart upon one's sleeve, to expose one's feelings or intentions; to be frank or impulsive. With all one's whole heart, very earnestly; fully; completely; devotedly. Origin: OE. Harte, herte, heorte, AS. Heorte; akin to OS. Herta, OFies. Hirte, D. Hart, OHG. Herza, G. Herz, Icel. Hjarta, Sw. Hjerta, Goth. Hairt, Lith. Szirdis, Russ. Serdtse, Ir. Cridhe, L. Cor, Gr, . Cf. Accord, Discord, Cordial, 4th Core, Courage. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Heart

hearsay evidence hearsay rule hearsays hearse hearsecloth hearsecloths hearsed hearselike hearses hearsier

hearsiest hearsing hearsome hearsomeness hearsy heart (current term) heart's-ease heart-breaking heart-breakingly heart-breakingness

heart-burn heart-eating heart-failure heart-failures heart-felt heart-healthy heart-leaf heart-leaved aster heart-lung machine

Literary usage of Heart

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, Izaak Walton (1909)
"Then they sat down to rest them, but Mr Great- heart betook him to prayer; ... ^ey both fell to it again, and Mr Great-heart with a full blow fetched ..."

2. Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Samuel Timmins (1860)
"... I'le make your eyes looke downe into your heart, And fee how ... heart went hand in hand euen with that vow, He made to you in marriage,and he is dead. ..."

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