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heat
[ heet ]
noun
- a relatively high degree of warmth.
Antonyms: coolness
- the condition or quality of being hot:
The heat of the oven will caramelize the natural sugars in the vegetables, enhancing their flavor.
- the degree of hotness; temperature:
Heat is measured with a thermometer.
Moderate heat is sufficient for a child’s bathwater.
Synonyms: caloricity
- the sensation of warmth or hotness:
She enjoyed the pleasant heat on her face and hands from the crackling fire.
- a bodily temperature higher than normal:
The heat caused by physical exertion is reduced by sweating.
- added or external energy that causes a rise in temperature, expansion, evaporation, or other physical change:
The application of heat causes particles of matter to move more rapidly.
- Physics. a nonmechanical energy transfer with reference to a temperature difference between a system and its surroundings or between two parts of the same system. : Q
- a hot condition of the atmosphere or physical environment; hot season or weather:
They go up north in the summer to escape the heat.
- a period of hot weather.
- a sharp, pungent flavor, as that produced by strong spices.
- warmth or intensity of feeling; vehemence; passion:
He spoke with much heat and at great length.
Synonyms: impetuosity, excitement, fever, flush, zeal, fervor, ardor
Antonyms: indifference
- a point or period of high intensity in an action, process, situation, etc.:
Soldiers must make snap decisions in the heat of battle with no certainty of the outcome.
In the heat of his hasty departure he forgot his keys.
- Often the heat. pressure to act, work, etc.:
All this media attention is putting the heat on him to change his position on the issue.
Give me a deadline—I work best under a little heat.
- Slang. intensified pressure verging on coercion and involving intimidation or implied threat, especially in a police investigation:
They had to use heat to get the guy to give them some names.
- the heat, Slang. the police:
We split when we saw the heat coming.
- Slang. armed protection, especially a pistol, revolver, or other firearm:
All guards carry some heat.
- a single intense effort; a sustained, concentrated, and continuous operation:
The painting was finished at a heat.
- Sports.
- a single course in or division of a race or other contest.
- a race or other contest in which competitors attempt to qualify for entry in the final race or contest.
- Metallurgy.
- a single operation of heating, as of metal in a furnace, in the treating and melting of metals.
- a quantity of metal produced by such an operation.
- Zoology.
- sexual receptiveness in animals, especially females.
- the period or duration of such receptiveness:
Do not frequent dog parks or other dog-populated areas while your dog is in heat.
- the heat, Slang. awesome or excellent; cool:
Check out the photography on her website—that stuff’s the heat!
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
- to become hot or warm (often followed by up ):
It takes a while for the house to heat up.
- to become excited emotionally.
verb phrase
- to increase or become more active or intense:
Business competition will heat up toward the end of the year.
heat
/ hiːt /
noun
- thermalcalorific
- the energy transferred as a result of a difference in temperature
- the random kinetic energy of the atoms, molecules, or ions in a substance or body
- the sensation caused in the body by heat energy; warmth
- the state or quality of being hot
- hot weather
the heat of summer
- intensity of feeling; passion
the heat of rage
- pressure
the political heat on the government over the economy
- the most intense or active part
the heat of the battle
- a period or condition of sexual excitement in female mammals that occurs at oestrus
- sport
- a preliminary eliminating contest in a competition
- a single section of a contest
- slang.police activity after a crime
the heat is off
- slang.criticism or abuse
he took a lot of heat for that mistake
- in the heat of the momentwithout pausing to think
- on heat or in heat
- Alsoin season (of some female mammals) sexually receptive
- in a state of sexual excitement
- the heat slang.the police
- turn up the heat or turn on the heat informal.to increase the intensity of activity, coercion, etc
verb
- to make or become hot or warm
- to make or become excited or intense
heat
/ hēt /
- Internal energy that is transferred to a physical system from outside the system because of a difference in temperature and does not result in work done by the system on its surroundings. Absorption of energy by a system as heat takes the form of increased kinetic energy of its molecules, thus resulting in an increase in temperature of the system. Heat is transferred from one system to another in the direction of higher to lower temperature.
- See also thermodynamicsSee Note at temperature
- See estrus
heat
- In physics , a form of energy associated with the movement of atoms and molecules in any material. The higher the temperature of a material, the faster the atoms are moving, and hence the greater the amount of energy present as heat. ( See infrared radiation .)
Derived Forms
- ˈheatless, adjective
Other Words From
- heat·a·ble adjective
- heat·ful adjective
- heat·less adjective
- heat·like adjective
- re·heat verb
- re·heat·a·ble adjective
- self-heat·ing adjective
- un·der·heat verb (used with object)
- un·heat·a·ble adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of heat1
Idioms and Phrases
- dead heat
- in heat
- in the heat of the moment
- turn up the heat
Example Sentences
Mr Price said it would be "nice to get back home" and get the "heating and television" working again.
She said the only heating is a gas fire in the lounge area, adding: "It's really hard at night now, it's cold and damp in here."
The long-frozen soil beneath the Arctic could rapidly thaw and release vast amounts of carbon dioxide and methane stored within it, heating up the atmosphere even more in a feedback loop.
The discussions, which take place on panels moderated by journalists, can get heated, as they did in 2016.
There are "issues such as a lack of hot water for months in winter, heating failure, flooding, damp, rat infestations and inadequate facilities for washing and cooking", the report said.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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