Heart

Heart, härt, n. the organ in animal systems that circulates the blood: the vital, inner, or chief part of anything: the seat of the affections, &c., esp. love: the affections: courage: vigour: secret meaning or design: that which resembles a heart: a person, esp. as implying courage or affectionateness—a term of endearment or encouragement: anything heart-shaped, esp. that one of the four suits in a pack of cards bearing a heart in red.—v.t. to encourage, hearten.—v.i. to form a compact head, as a plant.—ns. Heart′ache, sorrow: anguish; Heart′-beat, a pulsation of the heart: a throb of emotion, a thought; Heart′-blood, blood of the heart: life, essence; Heart′-bond, in masonry, a bond in which one header overlaps two others; Heart′-break, a sorrow or grief.—v.t. to break the heart of.—n. Heart′-break′er, a flirt: a curl, love-lock.—adjs. Heart′-break′ing, crushing with grief or sorrow; Heart′-brok′en, intensely afflicted or grieved.—ns. Heart′burn, a burning, acrid feeling, said to be due to the irritation of the upper end of the stomach by the fumes of its acrid contents: cardialgia: Heart′burning, discontent: secret enmity.—adj. Heart′-dear (Shak.), dear to the heart, sincerely beloved.—n. Heart′-disease′, any morbid condition of the heart, whether of the various tissues composing it, or of the nervous arrangements governing it.—adjs. Heart′-eas′ing, giving peace to the mind; Heart′ed, having a heart of a specified kind (hard-hearted, &c.): seated or fixed in the heart, laid up in the heart.—v.t. Heart′en, to encourage, stimulate: to add strength to.—adjs. Heart′-felt, felt deeply: sincere; Heart′free, having the affections free or disengaged.—ns. Heart′-grief, grief or affliction of the heart; Heart′-heav′iness, depression of spirits.—adv. Heart′ily, in a hearty manner: cordially: eagerly.—n. Heart′iness, the state or quality of being hearty.—adj. Heart′less, without heart, courage, or feeling.—adv. Heart′lessly.—ns. Heart′lessness; Heart′let, a little heart.—interj. Heart′ling (Shak.), little heart, used in a minced oath.—n. Heart′-quake, trembling, fear.—adjs. Heart′-rend′ing, deeply afflictive: agonising; Heart′-rob′bing (Spens.), stealing the affections: blissful.—ns. Heart′-rot, a disease producing decay in the hearts of trees, caused by the mycelia of various fungi; Heart's′-ease, a common name for the pansy, a species of violet, an infusion of which was once thought to ease the love-sick heart; Heart′-seed, a general name of plants of genus Cardiospermum, esp. the U.S. balloon-vine; Heart′-serv′ice, sincere devotion, as opposed to Eye-service.—adjs. Heart′-shaped, shaped like the human heart; Heart′-sick, pained in mind: depressed.—n. Heart′-sick′ness.—adjs. Heart′some, exhilarating: merry; Heart′-sore, caused by pain at the heart.—n. (Spens.) grief.—n. Heart′-spoon, the depression in the breastbone: the breastbone.—adj. Heart′-stir′ring, arousing the heart, exhilarating.—n. Heart′-string, a nerve or tendon supposed to brace and sustain the heart: (pl.) affections.—adjs. Heart′-struck (Shak.), driven to the heart, deeply fixed in the mind: (Milt.) shocked, dismayed; Heart′-swell′ing (Spens.), rankling in the heart or mind.—ns. Heart′-wheel, Heart′-cam, a form of cam-wheel used for converting uniform rotary motion into uniform reciprocating motion.—adj. Heart′-whole, whole at heart: unmoved in the affections or spirits.—n. Heart′-wood, the hard inner wood of a tree—also called Duramen.—adjs. Heart′y, full of, or proceeding from, the heart: warm: genuine: strong: healthy; Heart′y-hale (Spens.), wholesome or good for the heart.—Heart-and-hand, Heart-and-soul, with complete heartiness, with complete devotion to a cause; Heart of hearts, the inmost heart: deepest affections; Heart of oak, a brave, resolute heart.—After my own heart, to my own liking; At heart, in real character: substantially; Break the heart, to die of grief or disappointment: to cause deep grief to any one; By heart, by rote: in the memory; Eat one's heart (see Eat); Find in one's heart, to be willing or ready to do something; For one's heart, for one's life; Get, Have, by heart, to commit to memory, or to hold in one's memory; Have at heart, to wish earnestly for: to hold in dear esteem; Have one's heart in one's boots, mouth, to be in a state of terror; Lay, Take, to heart, to set one's mind strongly upon: to be deeply moved by something; Out of heart, in low spirits; Set the heart at rest, to become easy in mind; Set the heart upon, to desire earnestly; Speak to the heart (B.), to comfort, encourage; Take heart, to be encouraged; Take heart of grace (see Grace); Take to heart, to be deeply pained at anything; Wear the heart upon the sleeve, to show the feelings, &c., openly; With all my heart, most willingly. [A.S. heorte; Dut. hart, Ger. herz; cog. with L. cor, cordis, Gr. kardia.]