by heart
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heart
(härt)n.
1. Anatomy
a. The chambered muscular organ in vertebrates that pumps blood received from the veins into the arteries, thereby maintaining the flow of blood through the entire circulatory system.
b. A similarly functioning structure in invertebrates.
2. The area that is the approximate location of the heart in the body; the breast.
3.
a. The vital center and source of one's being, emotions, and sensibilities.
b. The repository of one's deepest and sincerest feelings and beliefs: an appeal from the heart; a subject dear to her heart.
c. The seat of the intellect or imagination: the worst atrocities the human heart could devise.
4.
a. Emotional constitution, basic disposition, or character: a man after my own heart.
b. One's prevailing mood or current inclination: We were light of heart.
5.
a. Capacity for sympathy or generosity; compassion: a leader who seems to have no heart.
b. Love; affection: The child won my heart.
6.
a. Courage; resolution; fortitude: The soldiers lost heart and retreated.
b. The firmness of will or the callousness required to carry out an unpleasant task or responsibility: hadn't the heart to send them away without food.
7. A person esteemed or admired as lovable, loyal, or courageous: a dear heart.
8.
a. The central or innermost physical part of a place or region: the heart of the financial district.
b. The core of a plant, fruit, or vegetable, such as a heart of palm.
9. The most important or essential part: get to the heart of the matter.
10. A conventional two-lobed representation of the heart, usually colored red or pink.
11. Games
a. A red, heart-shaped figure on certain playing cards.
b. A playing card with this figure.
c. hearts(used with a sing. or pl. verb) The suit of cards represented by this figure.
d. A card game in which the object is either to avoid hearts when taking tricks or to take all the hearts.
tr.v. heart·ed, heart·ing, hearts
Idioms: 1. Slang To have great liking or affection for: I heart chocolate chip cookies!
2. Archaic To encourage; hearten.
at heart
In one's deepest feelings; fundamentally.
by heart
Learned by rote; memorized word for word.
do (one's) heart good
To lift one's spirits; make one happy.
from the bottom/depths of (one's) heart
With the deepest appreciation; most sincerely.
have (one's) heart in (one's) mouth
To be extremely frightened or anxious.
have (one's) heart in the right place
To be well-intentioned.
heart and soul
Completely; entirely.
in (one's) heart of hearts
In the seat of one's truest feelings.
lose (one's) heart to
To fall in love with.
near/close to (one's) heart
Loved by or important to one.
steal (someone's) heart
To win one's affection or love.
take to heart
To take seriously and be affected or troubled by: Don't take my criticism to heart.
to (one's) heart's content
To one's entire satisfaction, without limitation.
wear (one's) heart on (one's) sleeve
To show one's feelings clearly and openly by one's behavior.
with all (one's) heart
1. With great willingness or pleasure.
2. With the deepest feeling or devotion.
with half a heart
In a halfhearted manner.
[Middle English hert, from Old English heorte; see kerd- in Indo-European roots. V., sense 1, from the use of a heart shape to represent the verb love, originally between the letters I and NY in merchandise meant to be read I love New York.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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| Adv. | 1. | by heart - by committing to memory; "she knew the poem by heart" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
غيبا، عن ظَهْر قَلْب
nazpaměť
udenad
ulkoa
בעל-פה
utan aî
ezbere
heart
(haːt) noun1. the organ which pumps blood through the body. How fast does a person's heart beat?; (also adjective) heart disease; a heart specialist.
2. the central part. I live in the heart of the city; in the heart of the forest; the heart of a lettuce; Let's get straight to the heart of the matter/problem.
3. the part of the body where one's feelings, especially of love, conscience etc are imagined to arise. She has a kind heart; You know in your heart that you ought to go; She has no heart (= She is not kind).
4. courage and enthusiasm. The soldiers were beginning to lose heart.
5. a symbol supposed to represent the shape of the heart; a white dress with little pink hearts on it; heart-shaped.
6. one of the playing-cards of the suit hearts, which have red symbols of this shape on them.
-heartedkind-hearted; hard-hearted; broken-hearted.
ˈhearten verb to encourage or cheer up. We were greatly heartened by the good news.
ˈheartless adjective cruel; very unkind. a heartless remark.
ˈheartlessly adverbˈheartlessness noun
hearts noun plural
(sometimes treated as noun singular) one of the four card suits. the two of hearts.
ˈhearty adjective1. very friendly. a hearty welcome.
2. enthusiastic. a hearty cheer.
3. very cheerful; too cheerful. a hearty person/laugh.
4. (of meals) large. He ate a hearty breakfast.
5. (of a person's appetite) large.
ˈheartily adverbˈheartiness noun
ˈheartache noun
(a feeling of) great sadness.
heart attack a sudden failure of the heart to function correctly, sometimes causing death. My father has had a slight heart attack.
ˈheartbeat noun (the sound of) the regular movement of the heart.
ˈheartbreak noun (something which causes) great sorrow. I have suffered many heartbreaks in my life.
ˈheartbroken adjective feeling very great sorrow. a heartbroken widow.
ˈheartburn noun a burning feeling in the chest caused by indigestion. She suffers from heartburn after meals.
heart failure the sudden stopping of the heart's beating. the old man died of heart failure.
ˈheartfelt adjective sincere. heartfelt thanks.
ˌheart-to-ˈheart adjective open and sincere, usually in private. I'm going to have a heart-to-heart talk with him.
noun an open and sincere talk, usually in private. After our heart-to-heart I felt more cheerful.
ˈheart-warming adjective causing a person to feel pleasure. It was heart-warming to see the happiness of the children.
at heart really; basically. He seems rather stern but he is at heart a very kind man.
break someone's heart to cause someone great sorrow. If you leave her, it'll break her heart.
by heart from memory; by memorizing. The children know their multiplication tables by heart; Actors must learn their speeches (off) by heart.
from the bottom of one's heart very sincerely. She thanked him from the bottom of her heart.
have a change of heart to change a decision etc, usually to a better, kinder one. He's had a change of heart – he's going to help us after all.
have a heart! show some pity!.
have at heart to have a concern for or interest in. He has the interest of his workers at heart.
heart and soul with all one's attention and energy. She devoted herself heart and soul to caring for her husband.
lose heart to become discouraged.
not have the heart to not to want or be unkind enough to (do something unpleasant). I don't have the heart to tell him that everyone laughed at his suggestions.
set one's heart on / have one's heart set on to want very much. He had set his heart on winning the prize; He had his heart set on winning.
take heart to become encouraged or more confident.
take to heart1. to be made very sad or upset by. You mustn't take his unkind remarks to heart.
2. to pay attention to. He's taken my criticism to heart – his work has improved.
to one's heart's content as much as one wants. She could play in the big garden to her heart's content.
with all one's heart very willingly or sincerely. I hope with all my heart that you will be happy.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.