heat

1 of 2

verb

heated; heating; heats

intransitive verb

1
: to become warm or hot
water heating in a kettle
2
: to start to spoil from heat

transitive verb

1
: to make warm or hot
heat a can of soup
heat the oven to 350 degrees
2
: excite
were heated by his stirring words
heatable adjective

heat

2 of 2

noun

1
a(1)
: a condition of being hot : warmth
snow melting in the heat of the sun
(2)
: a marked or notable degree of hotness
The heat was intense.
b
: pathological excessive bodily temperature
the heat of the fever
c
: a hot place or situation
get out of the heat
d(1)
: a period of heat
an unbroken heat
(2)
: a single complete operation of making something warm or hot
also : the quantity of material so heated
e(1)
physics : 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)
physics : 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 something as indicating its temperature
when the rod is at the proper welding heat
2
a
: intensity of feeling or reaction : passion
answered with considerable heat
b
: the height or stress of an action or condition
in the heat of battle
c
: sexual excitement especially in a female mammal
like an animal in heat
specifically : estrus
3
: a single continuous effort: such as
a
: a single round of a contest (such as a race) having two or more rounds for each contestant
won two heats out of three
b
: one of several preliminary contests held to eliminate less competent contenders
won the second heat but finished third in the final race
4
: pungency of flavor
Add some cayenne pepper for extra heat.
5
a slang
(1)
: the intensification of law-enforcement activity or investigation
waited until the heat was off
(2)
: police
b
: pressure, coercion
turn up the heat on your congressperson
c
: abuse, criticism
took heat for her mistakes
6
baseball : smoke sense 8
throwing some heat
7
slang : gun sense 1b
was packing heat
heatless adjective
heatproof adjective

Examples of heat in a Sentence

Verb I heated the vegetables in the microwave. They heat their house with a wood stove. Noun The sun's heat melted the snow. the intense heat of a fire She applied heat to the sore muscles in her leg. a period of high heat and humidity The crops were damaged by drought and extreme heat. Cook the milk over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Live video, conveyed in near real-time via SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, showed red-hot gases heating the underside of the vehicle. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Anatomy of a lightning stroke A single bolt of lightning can heat the air around it to 54,000 degrees. USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 Earth’s core, at a scorching 6,000 °C, radiates heat through layers of magma, continental crust, and sedimentary rock. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2024 To serve, heat the tortillas in a skillet or on a griddle until warm and softened. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 9 Mar. 2024 In fact, Io’s entire core is heated by this cosmic tug-of-war. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 But in the final week of Florida’s 60-day legislative session, the focus has narrowed just to heat protections. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 All of this applies to heating leftover rice because certain foods provide a more conducive environment for bacterial growth than others. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 By heating the water vapor, warm mist humidifiers add even more warmth to the room. Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
In a separate large, deep skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 That’s thanks to a powerful electric current that generates a more concentrated burst of heat. Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024 But, for the last twelve months, the seas have been so feverish that scientists are starting to worry about not just the physical impacts of all that heat but the theoretical implications. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 Place the cream and butter in a small saucepan and set the pan over medium heat. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, make the glaze by placing the chicken bone broth in a pot on high heat and reduce for 20 minutes. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 Many of the Amazon’s 40 million human inhabitants may be displaced by unbearable heat, and Indigenous peoples in particular would lose their livelihoods, ways of life, and knowledge systems. Quentin Septer, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 But there might be a simple, potentially inexpensive way to put a chill on urban heat: retroreflectors. Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Denim Shorts Buy on Revolve $198 Unforgiving jeans in Caribbean heat are out of the question for me, so investing in the coveted and splurge-worthy Mother Denim brand for my go-to shorts was a great decision. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English heten, going back to Old English hǣtan, going back to Germanic *haitjan- (whence also Middle Dutch hēten "to make warm," Old High German heizen, Old Norse heita "to make hot, brew"), derivative of *haita- "having a high temperature, burning" — more at hot entry 1

Noun

Middle English hete, going back to Old English hǣtu, going back to Germanic *haitīn- (whence also Old Frisian hēte "high temperature, heat," Old High German heizi), noun derivative from *haita- "having a high temperature, burning" — more at hot entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of heat was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near heat

Cite this Entry

“Heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

heat

1 of 2 verb
1
: to make or become warm or hot
2
: to make excited

heat

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a condition of being hot : warmth
b
: a high degree of hotness
c
: a hot place or period
the heat of the day
d
: a form of energy that causes substances to rise in temperature or to go through associated changes (as melting, evaporation, or expansion)
2
a
: strength of feeling
answered with some heat
b
: the height of an action or condition
the heat of battle
3
: a single race in a contest made up of two or more races
heatless adjective
heatproof adjective

Medical Definition

heat

1 of 2 intransitive verb
: to become warm or hot

transitive verb

: to make warm or hot

heat

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the state of a body or of matter that is perceived as opposed to cold and is characterized by elevation of temperature : a condition of being hot
especially : a marked or notable degree of this state : high temperature
b(1)
: a feverish state of the body : pathological excessive bodily temperature (as from inflammation)
knew the throbbing heat of an abscess
the heat of the fever
(2)
: a warm flushed condition of the body (as after exercise) : a sensation produced by or like that produced by contact with or approach to heated matter
c(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
2
: sexual excitement especially in a female mammal
specifically : estrus

More from Merriam-Webster on heat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!