Word Direct Answers

What does "heaven" mean?

Heaven: The dwelling place of the Deity; the abode of bliss; the place or state of the blessed after death. Unto the God of love, high heaven's King. Spenser. It is a knell That summons thee to heaven or to hell. Shak. New thoughts of God, new hopes of Heaven. Keble. Note: In this general sense heaven and its corresponding words in other languages have as various definite interpretations as there are phases of religious belief.

Additional senses

  1. 2.The sovereign of heaven; God; also, the assembly of the blessed, collectively; -- used variously in this sense, as in No.
  2. 3.Her prayers, whom Heaven delights to hear. Shak. The will And high permission of all-ruling Heaven. Milton.
  3. 4.Any place of supreme happiness or great comfort; perfect felicity; bliss; a sublime or exalted condition; as, a heaven of delight. "A heaven of beauty." Shak. "The brightest heaven of invention." Shak. O bed! bed! delicious bed! That heaven upon earth to the weary head! Hood. Note: Heaven is very often used, esp. with participles, in forming compound words, most of which need no special explanation; as, heaven-appeasing, heaven-aspiring, heaven-begot, heaven-born, heaven- bred, heaven-conducted, heaven-descended, heaven-directed, heaven- exalted, heaven-given, heaven-guided, heaven-inflicted, heaven- inspired, heaven-instructed, heaven-kissing, heaven-loved, heaven- moving, heaven-protected, heaven-taught, heaven-warring, and the like.
  4. 5.To place in happiness or bliss, as if in heaven; to beatify. [R.] We are happy as the bird whose nest Is heavened in the hush of purple hills. G. Massey.

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