heat

¹heat

verb \ˈhēt\

Definition of HEAT

intransitive verb

1

: to become warm or hot

2

: to start to spoil from heat

transitive verb

1

: to make warm or hot

2

: excite

— heat·able \ˈhē-tə-bəl\ adjective

Examples of HEAT

1. I heated the vegetables in the microwave.
2. They heat their house with a wood stove.

Origin of HEAT

Middle English heten, from Old English hǣtan; akin to Old English hāt hot

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to HEAT

Synonyms

warm, hot (up) [chiefly Southern, southern Midland, & British], toast

Antonyms

chill, cool, refrigerate

Related Words

overheat, superheat; reheat, rewarm; thaw; bake, cook, roast; burn, char, fire, parch, scald, scorch, sear

Near Antonyms

freeze, frost, ice, supercool

Rhymes with HEAT

beat, beet, bleat, cheat, cleat, Crete, deet, eat, feat, fleet, Geat, gleet, greet, lied, meat, meet, mete, neat, peat, pleat, seat, sheet, skeet, sleet, street, suite, sweet, teat, treat, tweet, weet, wheat

²heat

noun

Definition of HEAT

1

a (1) : a condition of being hot : warmth (2) : a marked or notable degree of hotness

b : pathological excessive bodily temperature

c : a hot place or situation

d (1) : a period of heat (2) : a single complete operation of heating; also : the quantity of material so heated

e (1) : added energy that causes substances to rise in temperature, fuse, evaporate, expand, or undergo any of various other related changes, that flows to a body by contact with or radiation from bodies at higher temperatures, and that can be produced in a body (as by compression) (2) : the energy associated with the random motions of the molecules, atoms, or smaller structural units of which matter is composed

f : appearance, condition, or color of a body as indicating its temperature

2

a : intensity of feeling or reaction : passion

b : the height or stress of an action or condition <in the heat of battle>

c : sexual excitement especially in a female mammal; specifically : estrus

3

: a single continuous effort: as

a : a single round of a contest (as a race) having two or more rounds for each contestant

b : one of several preliminary contests held to eliminate less competent contenders

4

: pungency of flavor

5

a slang (1) : the intensification of law-enforcement activity or investigation (2) : police

b : pressure, coercion

c : abuse, criticism <took heat for her mistakes>

6

: smoke 8

7

slang : gun 1b

— heat·less \ˈhēt-ləs\ adjective

— heat·proof \-ˌprüf\ adjective

Examples of HEAT

1. The sun's heat melted the snow.
2. the intense heat of a fire
3. She applied heat to the sore muscles in her leg.
4. a period of high heat and humidity
5. The crops were damaged by drought and extreme heat.
6. Cook the milk over low heat.
7. Remove the pan from the heat.

Origin of HEAT

Middle English hete, from Old English hǣte, hǣtu; akin to Old English hāt hot

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to HEAT

Synonyms

ardency, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor, fire, ardor, intenseness, intensity, passion, passionateness, vehemence, violence, warmth, white heat

Antonyms

impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness, insensitivity

Related Words

cathexis; emotionalism, emotionality, histrionics, mawkishness, melodrama, sappiness, sentimentality; eagerness, earnestness, excitement, gusto, keenness, zest; fanaticism, fever, hot-bloodedness, infatuation, mania, obsession, zeal; compassion, responsiveness, sentiment, sympathy, tenderness; torridity, torridness

Near Antonyms

aloofness, calmness, collectedness, composure, detachedness, dryness, phlegm, reserve, reservedness, reticence, taciturnity; apathy, indifference, stoicism, stoniness, unconcern; stiffness, woodenness; chilliness, coldness, coolness, frigidity, frigidness

heat

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Energy transferred from one body to another as the result of a difference in temperature. Heat flows from a hotter body to a colder body when the two bodies are brought together. This transfer of energy usually results in an increase in the temperature of the colder body and a decrease in that of the hotter body. A substance may absorb heat without an increase in temperature as it changes from one phase to another—that is, when it melts or boils. The distinction between heat (a form of energy) and temperature (a measure of the amount of energy) was clarified in the 19th century by such scientists as J.-B. Fourier, Gustav Kirchhoff, and Ludwig Boltzmann.