hea rt-to-hea rt (heart-to-hearts ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] A heart-to-heart is a conversation between two people, especially close friends, in which they talk freely about their feelings or personal problems. □ I've had a heart-to-heart with him.
hea rt-warming ADJ Something that is heart-warming causes you to feel happy, usually because something nice has happened to people. □ …the heart-warming story of enemies who discover a shared humanity.
hearty /hɑː r ti/ (heartier , heartiest )
1 ADJ Hearty people or actions are loud, cheerful, and energetic. □ Wade was a hearty, bluff, athletic sort of guy. □ He gave a hearty laugh. ● hearti|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ He laughed heartily.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Hearty feelings or opinions are strongly felt or strongly held. □ With the last sentiment, Arnold was in hearty agreement. ● hearti|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ Most Afghans are heartily sick of war.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A hearty meal is large and very satisfying. □ The men ate a hearty breakfast. ● hearti|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ I ate heartily and always cleared my plate.
heat ◆◆◇ /hiː t/ (heats , heating , heated )
1 VERB When you heat something, you raise its temperature, for example by using a flame or a special piece of equipment. □ [V n] Meanwhile, heat the tomatoes and oil in a pan. □ [V -ed] …heated swimming pools.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Heat is warmth or the quality of being hot. □ The seas store heat and release it gradually during cold periods.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The heat is very hot weather. □ As an asthmatic, he cannot cope with the heat and humidity.
4 N‑UNCOUNT The heat of something is the temperature of something that is warm or that is being heated. □ [+ of ] Adjust the heat of the barbecue by opening and closing the air vents.
5 N‑SING 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.
6 N‑UNCOUNT You use heat to refer to a state of strong emotion, especially of anger or excitement. □ [+ of ] It was all done in the heat of the moment and I have certainly learned by my mistake.
7 N‑SING The heat of a particular activity is the point when there is the greatest activity or excitement. □ [+ of ] Last week, in the heat of the election campaign, the Prime Minister left for America.
8 N‑COUNT 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.
9 → see also dead heat
10 PHRASE 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.
▸ heat up
1 PHRASAL VERB When you heat something up , especially food which has already been cooked and allowed to go cold, you make it hot. □ [V P n] Freda heated up a pie for me. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB When a situation heats up , things start to happen much more quickly and with increased interest and excitement among the people involved. □ [V P ] Then in the last couple of years, the movement for democracy began to heat up.
3 PHRASAL VERB When something heats up , it gradually becomes hotter. □ [V P ] In the summer her mobile home heats up like an oven. SYNONYMS heat VERB 1
warm (up): All that she would have to do was warm up the pudding.
cook: I have to go and cook the dinner.
boiclass="underline" Boil the water in the saucepan and add the sage.
fry: Fry the breadcrumbs until golden brown.
roast: I personally would rather roast a chicken whole.
heat|ed /hiː t I d/
1 ADJ A heated discussion or quarrel is one where the people involved are angry and excited. □ It was a very heated argument and they were shouting at each other.
2 ADJ If someone gets heated about something, they get angry and excited about it. □ [+ about/over ] You will understand that people get a bit heated about issues such as these. ● heat|ed|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ The crowd continued to argue heatedly about the best way to tackle the problem.
heat|er /hiː tə r / (heaters ) N‑COUNT A heater is a piece of equipment or a machine which is used to raise the temperature of something, especially of the air inside a room or a car.
heath /hiː θ/ (heaths ) N‑COUNT A heath is an area of open land covered with rough grass or heather and with very few trees or bushes. [BRIT ]
hea|then /hiː ðən/ (heathens )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Heathen means having no religion, or belonging to a religion that is not Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. [OLD-FASHIONED ] ● N‑PLURAL The heathen are heathen people. □ They first set out to convert the heathen.
2 N‑COUNT People sometimes refer to other people who have no religion as heathens , especially if they do not like the way they behave as a result of this. [OLD-FASHIONED , DISAPPROVAL ]
heath|er /he ðə r / N‑UNCOUNT Heather is a low, spreading plant with small purple, pink, or white flowers. Heather grows wild in Europe on high land with poor soil.
heat|ing /hiː t I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Heating is the process of heating a building or room, considered especially from the point of view of how much this costs. □ You can still find cottages for £350 a week, including heating. □ …heating bills.