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 1. Slang To have great liking or affection for: I heart chocolate chip cookies!2. Archaic To encourage; hearten.Idioms: 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) heart1. 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.heart (h??t) n1. (Anatomy) the hollow muscular organ in vertebrates whose contractions propel the blood through the circulatory system. In mammals it consists of a right and left atrium and a right and left ventricle. 2. (Anatomy) the corresponding organ or part in invertebrates3. this organ considered as the seat of life and emotions, esp love4. emotional mood or disposition: a happy heart; a change of heart. 5. tenderness or pity: you have no heart. 6. courage or spirit; bravery7. the inmost or most central part of a thing: the heart of the city. 8. the most important or vital part: the heart of the matter. 9. (Cookery) (of vegetables such as cabbage) the inner compact part10. (Forestry) the core of a tree11. the part nearest the heart of a person; breast: she held him to her heart. 12. a dearly loved person: usually used as a term of address: dearest heart. 13. a conventionalized representation of the heart, having two rounded lobes at the top meeting in a point at the bottom14. (Card Games) a. a red heart-shaped symbol on a playing cardb. a card with one or more of these symbols or (when pl.) the suit of cards so marked15. (Agriculture) a fertile condition in land, conducive to vigorous growth in crops or herbage (esp in the phrase in good heart)16. after one’s own heart appealing to one’s own disposition, taste, or tendencies17. at heart in reality or fundamentally18. break one’s heart break someone’s heart to grieve or cause to grieve very deeply, esp through love19. by heart by committing to memory20. cross my heart! cross my heart and hope to die! I promise!21. eat one’s heart out to brood or pine with grief or longing22. from one’s heart from the bottom of one’s heart very sincerely or deeply23. have a heart! be kind or merciful24. have one’s heart in it (usually used with a negative) to have enthusiasm for something25. have one’s heart in one’s boots to be depressed or down-hearted26. have one’s heart in one’s mouth have one’s heart in one’s throat to be full of apprehension, excitement, or fear27. have one’s heart in the right place a. to be kind, thoughtful, or generousb. to mean well28. have the heart (usually used with a negative) to have the necessary will, callousness, etc (to do something): I didn’t have the heart to tell him. 29. heart and soul absolutely; completely30. heart of hearts the depths of one’s conscience or emotions31. heart of oak a brave person32. in one’s heart secretly; fundamentally33. lose heart to become despondent or disillusioned (over something)34. lose one’s heart to to fall in love with35. near to one’s heart close to one’s heart cherished or important36. set one’s heart on to have as one’s ambition to obtain; covet37. take heart to become encouraged38. take to heart to take seriously or be upset about39. to one’s heart’s content as much as one wishes40. wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve to show one’s feelings openly41. with all one’s heart with one’s whole heart very willinglyvb42. (Botany) (intr) (of vegetables) to form a heart43. an archaic word for hearten[Old English heorte; related to Old Norse hjarta, Gothic hairt?, Old High German herza, Latin cor, Greek kardia, Old Irish cride]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014heart (h?rt) n. 1. a muscular organ in vertebrates (four-chambered in mammals and birds, three-chambered in reptiles and amphibians, and two-chambered in fishes) that receives blood from the veins and pumps it through the arteries to oxygenate the blood during its circuit. 2. any analogous contractile structure in invertebrate animals. 3. the center of the total personality, esp. with reference to intuition, feeling, or emotion: In your heart you know it’s true. 4. the center of emotion, esp. as contrasted to the head as the center of the intellect. 5. capacity for sympathy; feeling; affection: His heart moved him to help the needy. 6. spirit, courage, or enthusiasm: I don’t have the heart to tell him; to lose heart. 7. the innermost or central part of anything: in the heart of Paris. 8. the vital or essential part; core: the heart of the matter. 9. the breast or bosom. 10. a person (used esp. in expressions of praise or affection): dear heart. 11. a conventional shape with rounded sides meeting in a point at the bottom and curving inward to a cusp at the top. 12. a red figure or pip of this shape on a playing card. 13. a card of the suit bearing such figures. 14. hearts, a. (used with a sing. or pl. v.) the suit so marked. b. (used with a sing. v.) a game in which the players try to take all the hearts or to avoid taking tricks containing any of them. 15. a strand running through the center of a rope, the other strands being laid around it. v.t. 16. Archaic. a. to fix in the heart. b. to encourage. Idioms: 1. at heart, in reality; fundamentally; basically. 2. break someone’s heart, to cause someone to be devastated by sorrow or disappointment. 3. by heart, entirely from memory. 4. eat one’s heart out, to grieve inconsolably. 5. have a heart, to exhibit compassion and mercy. 6. have at heart, to have as a fundamental motive. 7. have one’s heart in one’s mouth, to be extremely anxious or fearful. 8. have one’s heart in the right place, to be well-intentioned. 9. in one’s heart of hearts, in one’s private thoughts or feelings; deep within one. 10. lose one’s heart to, to fall in love with. 11. near or close to one’s heart, of great interest or concern to one. 12. set one’s heart at rest, to dismiss one’s anxieties. 13. set one’s heart on, to wish for intensely; determine on. Also, have one’s heart set on. 14. take to heart, a. to consider seriously. b. to grieve over. 15. take heart, to regain one’s courage; become heartened. 16. wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve, to allow one’s feelings, esp. of love, to show. [before 900; Middle English herte, Old English heorte, c. Old Saxon herta, Old High German herza, Old Norse hjarta, Gothic hairt?; akin to Latin cor (see cordial), Greek kardía (see cardio-)] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.heartadult human heartheart (härt)1. The hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood through the body of a vertebrate animal by contracting and relaxing. In humans and other mammals, it has four chambers, consisting of two atria and two ventricles. The right side of the heart collects blood with low oxygen levels from the veins and pumps it to the lungs. The left side receives blood with high oxygen levels from the lungs and pumps it into the aorta, which carries it to all of the arteries of the body. The heart in other vertebrates functions similarly but often has fewer chambers.2. A similar but simpler organ in invertebrate animals.The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.heart – As the seat of feeling and intellect, heart has been used since around 825.See also related terms for intellect.Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.HeartSee also anatomy; body, human. anginophobiaan abnormal fear of angina pectoris.arrhythmia, arhythmia, arythmia, arrythmiaany abnormality in the rhythm of the heartbeat. ? arrhythmic, arhythmic, arythmic, arrythmic, adj.cardialgia, cardialgya burning or other painful feeling in the stomach or esophagus; heartburn.cardioangiologyMedicine. the specialty that treats the heart and the blood vessels.cardiocentesisMedicine. the surgical puncture or incision of the heart. Also called cardiopuncture.cardiodynamicsthe branch of medical science that studies the forces and motions involved in the heart?s actions.cardiodyniaMedicine. a pain in the heart.cardiogenesisMedical Science, the study of the development of the heart in the embryo.cardiographan instrument to record the action of the heart. ? cardiographer, n. ? cardiographic, adj.cardiographyMedicine. the technique of graphically recording some physical or functional features of heart action.cardiokinetican agent that stimulates action of the heart.cardiologyMedicine. the study of the heart and its functions. ? cardiologist, n. ? cardiologic, cardiological, adj.cardiomalaciaMedicine. a disease causing a softening of the muscle of the heart.cardiomegalyMedicine. an abnormal enlargement of the heart.cardiomyopathyMedicine. a general term designating the early stages of diseases of heart muscles.cardiopaludismMedicine. a heart disease caused by malaria and marked by increases in heart rhythm and doubled beating.cardiopathyany disease or disorder of the heart. ? cardiopath, n. ? cardiopathic, adj.cardiophobiaan abnormal fear of heart disease.cardiopuncturecardiocentesis.cardioversionMedicine. the restoration of proper heart rhythm by electrical shock.carditisan inflamed condition of the heart.crotismthe condition of having a single (monocrotism), double (dicrotism), etc., heartbeat.diastolethe rhythmic dilatation of the heart during which the muscle relaxes and the chambers fill with blood. Cf. systole. ? diastolic, adj.dicrotismthe condition of having a doublé heartbeat. ? dicrotic, adj.endocarditisan inflamed condition of the endocardium, the membrane that lines heart chambers.eurhythmyan even pulsebeat. ? eurhythmic, adj.fibrillationthe uncontrolled twitching of the muscular fibrils, especially of the cardiac muscles.infarctiona condition in which a localized area of muscular tissue is dying or dead owing to insufficient supply of blood, as occurs in a heart attack.monocrotismthe condition of having a single heartbeat. ? monocrotic, adj.myocarditisan inflamed condition of the muscular walls of the heart.palpitation1. rapid and irregular beating of the heart.2. a trembling of the body, as from fear or anxiety.pericarditisan inflamed condition of the pericardium, the membrane that surrounds the heart.systolethe rhythmic contraction of the heart, and especially of the ventricles, following each dilatation. Cf. diastole. ? systolic, adj.tachycardiaabnormally rapid beating of the heart.tricrotismthe condition of having three arterial beats for every one heartbeat, as in certain pulses. ? tricrotic, adj.valvulitisinflammation of a cardiac valve, usually caused by syphilis or rheumatic fever.-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.