Word Direct Answers

What does "heart" mean?

Heart: 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.

Additional senses

  1. 2.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.
  2. 3.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.
  3. 4.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.
  4. 5.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.
  5. 6.One of a series of playing cards, distinguished by the figure or figures of a heart; as, hearts are trumps.
  6. 7.Vital part; secret meaning; real intention. And then show you the heart of my message. Shak.
  7. 8.A term of affectionate or kindly and familiar address. "I speak to thee, my heart." Shak. Note: 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.
  8. 9.-- 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). Pope. -- For my heart, for my life; if my life were at stake. [Obs.] "I could not get him for my heart to do it." Shak. -- Heart bond (Masonry), a bond in which no header stone stretches across the wall, but two headers meet in the middle, and their joint is covered by another stone laid header fashion. Knight. -- Heart and hand, with enthusiastic coöperation. -- Heart hardness, hardness of heart; callousness of feeling; moral insensibility. Shak. -- Heart heaviness, depression of spirits. Shak. -- Heart point (Her.), the fess point. See Escutcheon. -- Heart rising, a rising of the heart, as in opposition. -- Heart shell (Zoöl.), any marine, bivalve shell of the genus Cardium and allied genera, having a heart-shaped shell; esp., the European Isocardia cor; -- called also heart cockle. -- Heart sickness, extreme depression of spirits. -- Heart and soul, with the utmost earnestness. -- Heart urchin (Zoöl.), 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. (a) To bring to despair or hopeless grief; to cause to be utterly cast down by sorrow. (b) 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." Sir P. Sidney. -- 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.
  9. 10.To give heart to; to hearten; to encourage; to inspirit. [Obs.] My cause is hearted; thine hath no less reason. Shak.
  10. 11.To form a compact center or heart; as, a hearting cabbage.

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