Adjacent Words

Heat definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HEAT, n. [L. aestus, for haestus, or caestus.]
1. Heat, as a cause of sensation, that is, the matter of heat, is considered to be a subtil fluid, contained in a greater or less degree in all bodies. In modern chimistry, it is called caloric. It expands all bodies in different proportions, and is the cause of fluidity and evaporation. A certain degree of it is also essential to animal and vegetable life. Heat is latent, when so combined with other matter as not to be perceptible. It is sensible, when it is evolved and perceptible.
2. Heat, as a sensation, is the effect produced on the sentient organs of animals, by the passage of caloric, disengaged from surrounding bodies, to the organs. When we touch or approach a hot body, the caloric or heat passes from that body to our organs of feeling, and gives the sensation of heat. On the contrary, when we touch a cold body, the caloric passes from the hand to that body, and causes a sensation of cold.
Note. This theory of heat seems not to be fully settled.
3. Hot air; hot weather; as the heat of the tropical climates.
4. Any accumulation or concentration of the matter of heat or caloric; as the heat of the body; the heat of a furnace; a red heat; a white heat; a welding heat.
5. The state of being once heated or hot.
Give the iron another heat.
6. A violent action unintermitted; a single effort.
Many causes are required for refreshment between the heats.
7. A single effort in running; a course at a race. Hector won at the first heat.
8. Redness of the face; flush.
9. Animal excitement; violent action or agitation of the system. The body is all in a heat.
10. Utmost violence; rage; vehemence; as the heat of battle.
11. Violence; ardor; as the heat of party.
12. Agitation of mind; inflammation or excitement; exasperation; as the heat of passion.
13. Ardor; fervency; animation in thought or discourse.
With all the strength and heat of eloquence.
14. Fermentation.
HEAT, v.t. [L. odi, osus, for hodi, hosus; L aestus, for haestus, heat, tide; Gr. to burn, and the English haste and hoist are probably of the same family.]
1. To make hot; to communicate heat to, or cause to be hot; as, to heat an oven or a furnace; to heat iron.
2. To make feverish; as, to heat the blood.
3. To warm with passion or desire; to excite; to rouse into action.
A noble emulation heats your breast.
4. To agitate the blood and spirits with action; to excite animal action.
HEAT, v.i. To grow warm or hot by fermentation, or extrication of latent heat.
Green hay heats in a mow, and green corn in a bin.
1. To grow warm or hot. The iron or the water heats slowly.
HEAT, for heated, is in popular use and pronounced het; but it is not elegant.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature [syn: heat, heat energy]
2: the presence of heat [syn: hotness, heat, high temperature] [ant: cold, coldness, frigidity, frigidness, low temperature]
3: the sensation caused by heat energy [syn: heat, warmth]
4: the trait of being intensely emotional [syn: heat, warmth, passion]
5: applies to nonhuman mammals: a state or period of heightened sexual arousal and activity [syn: estrus, oestrus, heat, rut] [ant: anestrum, anestrus, anoestrum, anoestrus]
6: a preliminary race in which the winner advances to a more important race
7: utility to warm a building; "the heating system wasn't working"; "they have radiant heating" [syn: heating system, heating plant, heating, heat] v
1: make hot or hotter; "the sun heats the oceans"; "heat the water on the stove" [syn: heat, heat up] [ant: chill, cool, cool down]
2: provide with heat; "heat the house"
3: arouse or excite feelings and passions; "The ostentatious way of living of the rich ignites the hatred of the poor"; "The refugees' fate stirred up compassion around the world"; "Wake old feelings of hatred" [syn: inflame, stir up, wake, ignite, heat, fire up]
4: gain heat or get hot; "The room heated up quickly" [syn: heat, hot up, heat up] [ant: chill, cool, cool down]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English heten, from Old English h?tan; akin to Old English h?t hot Date: before 12th century 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 • heatable adjective II. noun Etymology: Middle English hete, from Old English h?te, h?tu; akin to Old English h?t hot Date: before 12th century 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 • heatless adjective • heatproof adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a the condition of being hot. b the sensation or perception of this. c high temperature of the body. 2 Physics a a form of energy arising from the random motion of the molecules of bodies, which may be transferred by conduction, convection, or radiation. b the amount of this needed to cause a specific process, or evolved in a process (heat of formation; heat of solution). 3 hot weather (succumbed to the heat). 4 a warmth of feeling. b anger or excitement (the heat of the argument). 5 (foll. by of) the most intense part or period of an activity (in the heat of the battle). 6 a (usu. preliminary or trial) round in a race or contest. 7 the receptive period of the sexual cycle, esp. in female mammals. 8 redness of the skin with a sensation of heat (prickly heat). 9 pungency of flavour. 10 sl. intensive pursuit, e.g. by the police. --v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become hot or warm. 2 tr. inflame; excite or intensify. Phrases and idioms: heat barrier the limitation of the speed of an aircraft etc. by heat resulting from air friction. heat capacity thermal capacity. heat death Physics a state of uniform distribution of energy to which the universe is thought to be tending. heat engine a device for producing motive power from heat. heat-exchanger a device for the transfer of heat from one medium to another. heat pump a device for the transfer of heat from a colder area to a hotter area by using mechanical energy. heat-resistant = HEATPROOF. heat-seeking (of a missile etc.) able to detect infrared radiation to guide it to its target. heat shield a device for protection from excessive heat, esp. fitted to a spacecraft. heat sink a device or substance for absorbing excessive or unwanted heat. heat-treat subject to heat treatment. heat treatment the use of heat to modify the properties of a metal etc. heat wave a period of very hot weather. in the heat of the moment during or resulting from intense activity, without pause for thought. on heat (of mammals, esp. females) sexually receptive. turn the heat on colloq. concentrate an attack or criticism on (a person). Etymology: OE hætu f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Heat Heat, n. [OE. hete, h[ae]te, AS. h?tu, h?to, fr. h[=a]t hot; akin to OHG. heizi heat, Dan. hede, Sw. hetta. See Hot.] 1. A force in nature which is recognized in various effects, but especially in the phenomena of fusion and evaporation, and which, as manifested in fire, the sun's rays, mechanical action, chemical combination, etc., becomes directly known to us through the sense of feeling. In its nature heat is a mode if motion, being in general a form of molecular disturbance or vibration. It was formerly supposed to be a subtile, imponderable fluid, to which was given the name caloric. Note: As affecting the human body, heat produces different sensations, which are called by different names, as heat or sensible heat, warmth, cold, etc., according to its degree or amount relatively to the normal temperature of the body. 2. The sensation caused by the force or influence of heat when excessive, or above that which is normal to the human body; the bodily feeling experienced on exposure to fire, the sun's rays, etc.; the reverse of cold. 3. High temperature, as distinguished from low temperature, or cold; as, the heat of summer and the cold of winter; heat of the skin or body in fever, etc. Else how had the world . . . Avoided pinching cold and scorching heat! --Milton. 4. Indication of high temperature; appearance, condition, or color of a body, as indicating its temperature; redness; high color; flush; degree of temperature to which something is heated, as indicated by appearance, condition, or otherwise. It has raised . . . heats in their faces. --Addison. The heats smiths take of their iron are a blood-red heat, a white-flame heat, and a sparking or welding heat. --Moxon. 5. A single complete operation of heating, as at a forge or in a furnace; as, to make a horseshoe in a certain number of heats. 6. A violent action unintermitted; a single effort; a single course in a race that consists of two or more courses; as, he won two heats out of three. Many causes . . . for refreshment betwixt the heats. --Dryden. [He] struck off at one heat the matchless tale of ``Tam o'Shanter.'' --J. C. Shairp. 7. Utmost violence; rage; vehemence; as, the heat of battle or party. ``The heat of their division.'' --Shak. 8. Agitation of mind; inflammation or excitement; exasperation. ``The head and hurry of his rage.'' --South. 9. Animation, as in discourse; ardor; fervency. With all the strength and heat of eloquence. --Addison. 10. Sexual excitement in animals. 11. Fermentation. Animal heat, Blood heat, Capacity for heat, etc. See under Animal, Blood, etc. Atomic heat (Chem.), the product obtained by multiplying the atomic weight of any element by its specific heat. The atomic heat of all solid elements is nearly a constant, the mean value being 6.4. Dynamical theory of heat, that theory of heat which assumes it to be, not a peculiar kind of matter, but a peculiar motion of the ultimate particles of matter. Heat engine, any apparatus by which a heated substance, as a heated fluid, is made to perform work by giving motion to mechanism, as a hot-air engine, or a steam engine. Heat producers. (Physiol.) See under Food. Heat rays, a term formerly applied to the rays near the red end of the spectrum, whether within or beyond the visible spectrum. Heat weight (Mech.), the product of any quantity of heat by the mechanical equivalent of heat divided by the absolute temperature; -- called also thermodynamic function, and entropy. Mechanical equivalent of heat. See under Equivalent. Specific heat of a substance (at any temperature), the number of units of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of the substance at that temperature one degree. Unit of heat, the quantity of heat required to raise, by one degree, the temperature of a unit mass of water, initially at a certain standard temperature. The temperature usually employed is that of 0[deg] Centigrade, or 32[deg] Fahrenheit.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Heat Heat, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Heated; p. pr. & vb. n. Heating.] [OE. heten, AS. h?tan, fr. h[=a]t hot. See Hot.] 1. To make hot; to communicate heat to, or cause to grow warm; as, to heat an oven or furnace, an iron, or the like. Heat me these irons hot. --Shak. 2. To excite or make hot by action or emotion; to make feverish. Pray, walk softly; do not heat your blood. --Shak. 3. To excite ardor in; to rouse to action; to excite to excess; to inflame, as the passions. A noble emulation heats your breast. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Heat Heat, v. i. 1. To grow warm or hot by the action of fire or friction, etc., or the communication of heat; as, the iron or the water heats slowly. 2. To grow warm or hot by fermentation, or the development of heat by chemical action; as, green hay heats in a mow, and manure in the dunghill.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Heat Heat, imp. & p. p. of Heat. Heated; as, the iron though heat red-hot. [Obs. or Archaic.] --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(heats, heating, heated) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. When you heat something, you raise its temperature, for example by using a flame or a special piece of equipment. Meanwhile, heat the tomatoes and oil in a pan. ...heated swimming pools. VERB: V n, V-ed 2. Heat is warmth or the quality of being hot. The seas store heat and release it gradually during cold periods... N-UNCOUNT 3. The heat is very hot weather. As an asthmatic, he cannot cope with the heat and humidity... 4. The heat of something is the temperature of something that is warm or that is being heated. Adjust the heat of the barbecue by opening and closing the air vents. N-UNCOUNT: with supp 5. You use heat to refer to a source of heat, for example a cooking ring or the heating system of a house. Immediately remove the pan from the heat... N-SING 6. You use heat to refer to a state of strong emotion, especially of anger or excitement. It was all done in the heat of the moment and I have certainly learned by my mistake... N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n 7. The heat of a particular activity is the point when there is the greatest activity or excitement. Last week, in the heat of the election campaign, the Prime Minister left for America. N-SING: the N of n 8. A heat is one of a series of races or competitions. The winners of a heat take part in another race or competition, against the winners of other heats. ...the heats of the men's 100m breaststroke. N-COUNT see also dead heat 9. When a female animal is on heat in British English, or in heat in American English, she is in a state where she is ready to mate with a male animal, as this will probably result in her becoming pregnant. PHRASE: v-link PHR

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

het (chom, horebh, "drought," Job 30:30; Isa 4:6; 25:4; Jer 36:30; sharabh, Isa 49:10, translated in the Revised Version margin "mirage"; zestos, "fervent," Re 3:15, therme, Ac 28:3, kauma, Re 7:16, kauson, Mt 20:12; see MIRAGE):

1. Dreaded in Palestine:

The heat of the summer is greatly dreaded in Palestine, and as a rule the people rest under cover during the middle of the day, when the sun is hottest. There is no rain from May to October, and scarcely a cloud in the sky to cool the air or to screen off the burning vertical rays of the sun. The first word of advice given to visitors to the country is to protect themselves from the sun. Even on the mountains, where the temperature of the air is lower, the sun is perhaps more fierce, owing to the lesser density of the atmosphere.

2. Causes Disease:

This continuous summer heat often causes sunstroke, and the glare causes diseases of the eye which affect a large percentage of the people of Palestine and Egypt.

3. Relief Sought:

It is to be expected that in these times of heat and drought the ideal pleasure has come to be to sit in the shade by some cool flowing fountain. In the mountains the village which has the coolest spring of water is the most desired. These considerations give renewed meaning to the passages: "as cold waters to a thirsty soul" (Pr 25:25); "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside still waters" (Ps 23:2). What a blessing to be "under the shadow of the Almighty" (Ps 91:1), where "the sun shall not strike upon them, nor any heat" (Re 7:16)!

4. Midday Heat:

The middle of the day is often referred to as the "heat of the day" (1Sa 11:11). It made a great difference to the army whether it could win the battle before the midday heat. Saladin won the great battle at Hattin by taking advantage of this fact. It was a particular time of the day when it was the custom to rest. "They came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, as he took his rest at noon" (2Sa 4:5). Yahweh appeared to Abraham as "he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day" (Ge 18:1). The hardship of working throughout the day is expressed in Mt 20:12, "who have borne the burden of the day and scorching heat." Sometimes just after sunrise the contrast of the cold of night and the heat of the sun is especially noticeable. "The sun ariseth with the scorching wind" (Jas 1:11).

5. Summer Heat:

In summer the wind is usually from the Southwest, but in case it is from the South it is sure to be hot. "When ye see a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be a scorching heat" (Lu 12:55). The heat on a damp, sultry day, when the atmosphere is full of dust haze is especially oppressive, and is referred to in Isa 25:5 as "the heat by the shade of a cloud." The heat of summer melts the snow on the mountains and causes all vegetation to dry up and wither. Ice and snow vanish in the heat thereof (Job 6:17), "Drought and heat consume the snow waters" (Job 24:19). But the "tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river .... shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green" (Jer 17:8).

6. Figurative Uses:

The word is used often in connection with anger in the Scriptures: "hot anger" (Ex 11:8); "hot displeasure" (De 9:19); "anger of the Lord was hot against Israel" (Jud 2:14 the King James Version); "thine anger from waxing hot" (Ps 85:3 King James Version, margin); "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot" (Re 3:15).

Alfred H. Joy

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Caloric. 2. Warmth. 3. Degree of temperature. 4. Excitement, flush, vehemence, impetuosity, violence, passion, fever. 5. Ardor, earnestness, fervor, zeal. 6. Contest, struggle, race. II. v. a. 1. Make hot. 2. Excite, flush, make feverish. 3. Warm, animate, rouse, stir, stimulate.

Moby Thesaurus

John Law, Le Mans, a transient madness, abandon, activate, agitate, agitation, air race, anger, angriness, animate, annoy, ardency, ardor, arousal, arouse, automobile race, awake, awaken, bake, barbecue, baste, bicycle race, blanch, blow the coals, blow up, boat race, boil, braise, brew, broil, brown, calenture, call forth, call up, chafe, childbed fever, coddle, commitment, committedness, contest of speed, continued fever, cook, cop, copper, cross-country race, curry, dash, dedication, delirium, derby, devil, devotedness, devotion, devoutness, do, do to perfection, dog race, drag race, eagerness, earnestness, ecstasy, electric-heat, endurance race, enkindle, enrage, enragement, enthusiasm, eruptive fever, estral cycle, estruation, estrum, estrus, excite, excitement, exhilaration, faith, faithfulness, fan, fan the fire, fan the flame, febricity, febrility, feed the fire, ferment, fervency, fervidness, fervor, fever, fever heat, fever of excitement, feverishness, fidelity, fieriness, fire, fire up, flame, flatfoot, flush, foment, footrace, frenzy, fricassee, frizz, frizzle, fry, furor, fury, fury of lust, fuzz, gas-heat, grapes of wrath, griddle, grill, gusto, heart, heartiness, heat up, heatedness, hectic, hectic fever, hectic flush, hot, hot up, hot-air-heat, hot-water-heat, hotness, hurdle race, hyperpyrexia, hyperthermia, ignite, impassion, impassionedness, impetuosity, incense, incite, inflame, infuriate, infuriation, inspirit, instigate, intensify, intensity, intentness, intermittent fever, irateness, ire, key up, kindle, lap, lather up, light the fuse, light up, liveliness, loyalty, mad, madden, man, marathon, marathon race, match race, motorcycle race, move, mull, nettle, obstacle race, oven-bake, overexcite, overheat, paddy, pan, pan-broil, parboil, passion, passionateness, peace officer, pique, poach, police, potato race, preheat, prepare, prepare food, protein fever, provoke, puerperal fever, put up to, pyrexia, quicken, race, rally, recook, regatta, reheat, relapsing fever, relay, relay race, relish, remittent, remittent fever, resolution, road race, roast, rouse, run, rut, sack race, saeva indignatio, saute, savor, scallop, sear, seriousness, set astir, set fire to, set on, set on fire, sexual excitement, shirr, sic on, simmer, sincerity, soreness, soul, speedway race, spirit, sprint, sprint race, steam, steam up, stew, stimulate, stimulation, stir, stir the blood, stir the embers, stir the feelings, stir up, stir-fry, stock-car race, stoke up, stress, summon up, superheat, tenseness, tension, tepefy, three-legged race, tickle, toast, torch race, torridity, torridness, track race, turn on, urethral fever, vaccinal fever, vehemence, verve, vials of wrath, wake, wake up, waken, walk, warm, warm over, warm the blood, warm up, warmness, warmth, warmth of feeling, water fever, whet, whip up, work into, work up, wound fever, wrath, wrathfulness, yacht race, zeal, zealousness