heated; heating; heats
1
: to become warm or hot
water heating in a kettle
2
: to start to spoil from heat
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
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
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
6
baseball
: smoke sense 8
throwing some heat
7
slang
: gun sense 1b
was packing heat
Synonyms
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
Emi Tuyetnhi Tran, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
In Milwaukee, the challenge of energy affordability is felt most keenly in the majority Black neighborhoods north of North Avenue between North 35th and North Holton streets, who on average pay 7% to 9% of their monthly income to heat their homes and keep the lights on.
—Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
Nearly a year later, the video is going viral for a second time after the official Transportation Security Administration (TSA) account reshared it on their Instagram on April 4 — leading devoted players of the game to get heated all over again.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Here the brand nerds out with the science of lightweight titanium and the chemical reactions that occur when the metal is heated, a meticulous treatment called thermal oxidation.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
Truth or myth: Have all of your ingredients prepared and your cooking oil heated before starting to cook.
—Julia Moskin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Along with losing that affordable supply of gas needed to heat homes, generate electricity and power factories, the rebound from the pandemic also strained supply chains, helping push up inflation.
—David McHugh, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
In addition, the yacht will be equipped with an innovative heat recovery system that uses the thermal energy from the generators to heat the water in the pools, the water boilers, and the deck washing system to further reduce fuel consumption.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
And some farmers are using massive black or white tarps to heat or cool the soils in which wild bees live, Hopkins said.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
After last-minute objections from state officials thwarted plans to implement protections for workers in hot warehouses and other indoor facilities, California’s workplace safety agency is trying again to adopt the measures before the summer heat arrives.
—Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
This name refers to its ability to be placed above a radiator and withstand the intense heat emanating from there, a kind of heat which is anathema to most houseplants.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
Previous studies have found that excessively hot night time temperatures can be particularly deadly, because the body can't cool down and recover from daytime heat stress.
—Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
The team constructed a five-layer sunshield about the size of a tennis court that protects it from other heat sources like the Earth, sun, and various moons.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
The most apparent example of how a lack of Western air defenses is affecting Ukraine is in its second-largest city, Kharkiv, where Russian missiles and drones destroyed a heat and power plant last week.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
Spicy Lemonade Refreshers and spicy cream cold foam became available at Starbucks on Tuesday, April 16 and each option gets its heat from a spicy chili powder blend.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
While carbon dioxide is the most prevalent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, methane is far more potent — nearly 30 times as effective as carbon dioxide at trapping heat, according to the EPA.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2024
Verb
The hearing became particularly heated when Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., pressed Shafik about why Massad is still listed on Columbia’s website as the chair of the academic review committee.
—Emi Tuyetnhi Tran, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
In Milwaukee, the challenge of energy affordability is felt most keenly in the majority Black neighborhoods north of North Avenue between North 35th and North Holton streets, who on average pay 7% to 9% of their monthly income to heat their homes and keep the lights on.
—Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
Nearly a year later, the video is going viral for a second time after the official Transportation Security Administration (TSA) account reshared it on their Instagram on April 4 — leading devoted players of the game to get heated all over again.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Here the brand nerds out with the science of lightweight titanium and the chemical reactions that occur when the metal is heated, a meticulous treatment called thermal oxidation.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
Truth or myth: Have all of your ingredients prepared and your cooking oil heated before starting to cook.
—Julia Moskin, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Along with losing that affordable supply of gas needed to heat homes, generate electricity and power factories, the rebound from the pandemic also strained supply chains, helping push up inflation.
—David McHugh, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
In addition, the yacht will be equipped with an innovative heat recovery system that uses the thermal energy from the generators to heat the water in the pools, the water boilers, and the deck washing system to further reduce fuel consumption.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
And some farmers are using massive black or white tarps to heat or cool the soils in which wild bees live, Hopkins said.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
Yarrow, who has taken a lot of heat for using game-farm animals in his past work, is quick to point out that film and TV have been much bigger supporters of the industry.
—Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
After last-minute objections from state officials thwarted plans to implement protections for workers in hot warehouses and other indoor facilities, California’s workplace safety agency is trying again to adopt the measures before the summer heat arrives.
—Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
This name refers to its ability to be placed above a radiator and withstand the intense heat emanating from there, a kind of heat which is anathema to most houseplants.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
Previous studies have found that excessively hot night time temperatures can be particularly deadly, because the body can't cool down and recover from daytime heat stress.
—Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
The team constructed a five-layer sunshield about the size of a tennis court that protects it from other heat sources like the Earth, sun, and various moons.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
The most apparent example of how a lack of Western air defenses is affecting Ukraine is in its second-largest city, Kharkiv, where Russian missiles and drones destroyed a heat and power plant last week.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
Spicy Lemonade Refreshers and spicy cream cold foam became available at Starbucks on Tuesday, April 16 and each option gets its heat from a spicy chili powder blend.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
While carbon dioxide is the most prevalent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, methane is far more potent — nearly 30 times as effective as carbon dioxide at trapping heat, according to the EPA.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 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.
Articles Related to heat
Dictionary Entries Near heat
Cite this Entry
“Heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
heat
1 of 2 verb1
: to make or become warm or hot
2
: to make excited
heat
2 of 2 noun1
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
c
3
: a single race in a contest made up of two or more races
Medical Definition
heat
2 of 2 noun1
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
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