heart

heart  (härt) n. 1. Anatomy a. The chambered muscular organ in vertebrates that pumps blood received from the veins into the arteries, thereby maintaining the flow of blood through the entire circulatory system. b. A similarly functioning structure in invertebrates. 2. The area that is the approximate location of the heart in the body; the breast. 3. a. The vital center and source of one's being, emotions, and sensibilities. b. The repository of one's deepest and sincerest feelings and beliefs: an appeal from the heart; a subject dear to her heart. c. The seat of the intellect or imagination: the worst atrocities the human heart could devise. 4. a. Emotional constitution, basic disposition, or character: a man after my own heart. b. One's prevailing mood or current inclination: We were light of heart. 5. a. Capacity for sympathy or generosity; compassion: a leader who seems to have no heart. b. Love; affection: The child won my heart. 6. a. Courage; resolution; fortitude: The soldiers lost heart and retreated. b. The firmness of will or the callousness required to carry out an unpleasant task or responsibility: hadn't the heart to send them away without food. 7. A person esteemed or admired as lovable, loyal, or courageous: a dear heart. 8. a. The central or innermost physical part of a place or region: the heart of the financial district. See Synonyms at center. b. The core of a plant, fruit, or vegetable: hearts of palm. 9. The most important or essential part: get to the heart of the matter. 10. A conventional two-lobed representation of the heart, usually colored red or pink. 11. Games a. A red, heart-shaped figure on certain playing cards. b. A playing card with this figure. c. hearts (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The suit of cards represented by this figure. d. A card game in which the object is either to avoid hearts when taking tricks or to take all the hearts. tr.v. heart·ed, heart·ing, hearts Archaic To encourage; hearten. Idioms: at heart In one's deepest feelings; fundamentally. by heart Learned by rote; memorized word for word. do (one's) heart good To lift one's spirits; make one happy. from the bottom/depths of (one's) heart With the deepest appreciation; most sincerely. have (one's) heart in (one's) mouth To be extremely frightened or anxious. have (one's) heart in the right place To be well-intentioned. heart and soul Completely; entirely. in (one's) heart of hearts In the seat of one's truest feelings. lose (one's) heart to To fall in love with. near/close to (one's) heart Loved by or important to one. steal (someone's) heart To win one's affection or love. take to heart To take seriously and be affected or troubled by: Don't take my criticism to heart. to (one's) heart's content To one's entire satisfaction, without limitation. wear (one's) heart on (one's) sleeve To show one's feelings clearly and openly by one's behavior. with all (one's) heart 1. With great willingness or pleasure. 2. With the deepest feeling or devotion. with half a heart In a half-hearted manner. [Middle English hert, from Old English heorte; see kerd- in Indo-European roots.]

heart A. superior vena cava B. pulmonary artery C. left atrium D. left ventricle E. right ventricle F. inferior vena cava G. right atrium H. aorta

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heart

Noun

1. a hollow muscular organ whose contractions pump the blood throughout the body

2. this organ considered as the centre of emotions, esp. love

3. tenderness or pity: my heart went out to her

4. courage or spirit

5. the most central part or important part: at the heart of Italian motor racing

6. (of vegetables, such as cabbage) the inner compact part

7. the breast: she held him to her heart

8. a shape representing the heart, with two rounded lobes at the top meeting in a point at the bottom

9.

a. a red heart-shaped symbol on a playing card

b. a card with one or more of these symbols or (when pl) the suit of cards so marked

10. break someone's heart to cause someone to grieve very deeply, esp. by ending a love affair

11. by heart by memorizing

12. have a change of heart to experience a profound change of outlook or attitude

13. have one's heart in one's mouth to be full of apprehension, excitement, or fear

14. have the heart to have the necessary will or callousness (to do something): I didn't have the heart to tell him

15. set one's heart on something to have something as one's ambition

16. take heart to become encouraged

17. take something to heart to take something seriously or be upset about something

18. wear one's heart on one's sleeve to show one's feelings openly

19. with all one's heart deeply and sincerely [Old English heorte]

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heart  (härt) 1. The hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood through the body of a vertebrate animal by contracting and relaxing. In humans and other mammals, it has four chambers, consisting of two atria and two ventricles. The right side of the heart collects blood with low oxygen levels from the veins and pumps it to the lungs. The left side receives blood with high oxygen levels from the lungs and pumps it into the aorta, which carries it to the arteries of the body. The heart in other vertebrates functions similarly but often has fewer chambers. 2. A similar but simpler organ in invertebrate animals.

heart anatomy of a human heart: A. superior vena cava, B. right pulmonary artery, C. right pulmonary veins, D. right atrium, E. right coronary artery, F. right ventricle, G. inferior vena cava, H. aorta, I. left pulmonary artery, J. left pulmonary veins, K. left atrium, L. left coronary artery, M. left ventricle, N. aorta

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Heart

See also anatomy; body, human.

anginophobia

an abnormal fear of angina pectoris.

arrhythmia, arhythmia, arythmia, arrythmia

any abnormality in the rhythm of the heartbeat. — arrhythmic, arhythmic, arythmic, arrythmic, adj.

cardialgia, cardialgy

a burning or other painful feeling in the stomach or esophagus; heartburn.

cardioangiology

Medicine. the specialty that treats the heart and the blood vessels.

cardiocentesis

Medicine. the surgical puncture or incision of the heart. Also called cardiopuncture.

cardiodynamics

the branch of medical science that studies the forces and motions involved in the heart’s actions.

cardiodynia

Medicine. a pain in the heart.

cardiogenesis

Medical Science, the study of the development of the heart in the embryo.

cardiograph

an instrument to record the action of the heart. — cardiographer, n. — cardiographic, adj.

cardiography

Medicine. the technique of graphically recording some physical or functional features of heart action.

cardiokinetic

an agent that stimulates action of the heart.

cardiology

Medicine. the study of the heart and its functions. — cardiologist, n. — cardiologic, cardiological, adj.

cardiomalacia

Medicine. a disease causing a softening of the muscle of the heart.

cardiomegaly

Medicine. an abnormal enlargement of the heart.

cardiomyopathy

Medicine. a general term designating the early stages of diseases of heart muscles.

cardiopaludism

Medicine. a heart disease caused by malaria and marked by increases in heart rhythm and doubled beating.

cardiopathy

any disease or disorder of the heart. — cardiopath, n. — cardiopathic, adj.

cardiophobia

an abnormal fear of heart disease.

cardiopuncture

cardiocentesis.

cardioversion

Medicine. the restoration of proper heart rhythm by electrical shock.

carditis

an inflamed condition of the heart.

crotism

the condition of having a single (monocrotism), double (dicrotism), etc., heartbeat.

diastole

the rhythmic dilatation of the heart during which the muscle relaxes and the chambers fill with blood. Cf. systole. — diastolic, adj.

dicrotism

the condition of having a doublé heartbeat. — dicrotic, adj.

endocarditis

an inflamed condition of the endocardium, the membrane that lines heart chambers.

eurhythmy

an even pulsebeat. — eurhythmic, adj.

fibrillation

the uncontrolled twitching of the muscular fibrils, especially of the cardiac muscles.

infarction

a condition in which a localized area of muscular tissue is dying or dead owing to insufficient supply of blood, as occurs in a heart attack.

monocrotism

the condition of having a single heartbeat. — monocrotic, adj.

myocarditis

an inflamed condition of the muscular walls of the heart.

palpitation

1. rapid and irregular beating of the heart.
2. a trembling of the body, as from fear or anxiety.

pericarditis

an inflamed condition of the pericardium, the membrane that surrounds the heart.

systole

the rhythmic contraction of the heart, and especially of the ventricles, following each dilatation. Cf. diastole. — systolic, adj.

tachycardia

abnormally rapid beating of the heart.

tricrotism

the condition of having three arterial beats for every one heartbeat, as in certain pulses. — tricrotic, adj.

valvulitis

inflammation of a cardiac valve, usually caused by syphilis or rheumatic fever.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	heart - the locus of feelings and intuitions; "in your heart you know it is true"; "her story would melt your bosom" bosom hunch, suspicion, intuition - an impression that something might be the case; "he had an intuition that something had gone wrong"
	2.	heart - the hollow muscular organ located behind the sternum and between the lungs; its rhythmic contractions move the blood through the body; "he stood still, his heart thumping wildly" ticker, pump internal organ, viscus - a main organ that is situated inside the body arteria coronaria, coronary artery - the artery that branches from the aorta to supply blood to the heart athlete's heart - enlarged heart commonly found among athletes trained for endurance biauriculate heart - a heart (as of mammals and birds and reptiles) having two auricles cardiac muscle, heart muscle - the muscle tissue of the heart; adapted to continued rhythmic contraction cardiac valve, heart valve - a valve to control one-way flow of blood valve - a structure in a hollow organ (like the heart) with a flap to insure one-way flow of fluid through it cardiovascular system, circulatory system - the organs and tissues involved in circulating blood and lymph through the body
	3.	heart - the courage to carry on; "he kept fighting on pure spunk"; "you haven't got the heart for baseball" mettle, nerve, spunk braveness, bravery, courage, courageousness - a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
	4.	heart - an area that is approximately central within some larger region; "it is in the center of town"; "they ran forward into the heart of the struggle"; "they were in the eye of the storm" center, middle, centre, eye area, country - a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography); "it was a mountainous area"; "Bible country" center stage, centre stage - the central area on a theater stage central city, city center, city centre - the central part of a city storm center, storm centre - the central area or place of lowest barometric pressure within a storm financial center - the part of a city where financial institutions are centered hub - a center of activity or interest or commerce or transportation; a focal point around which events revolve; "the playground is the hub of parental supervision"; "the airport is the economic hub of the area" inner city - the older and more populated and (usually) poorer central section of a city medical center - the part of a city where medical facilities are centered midfield - (sports) the middle part of a playing field (as in football or lacrosse) seat - a center of authority (as a city from which authority is exercised) midstream - the middle of a stream
	5.	heart - the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story" essence, heart and soul, inwardness, nitty-gritty, pith, substance, gist, kernel, nub, meat, core, sum, marrow, center, centre cognitive content, mental object, content - the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned bare bones - (plural) the most basic facts or elements; "he told us only the bare bones of the story" hypostasis - (metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality haecceity, quiddity - the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and makes it different from any other quintessence - the purest and most concentrated essence of something stuff - a critically important or characteristic component; "suspense is the very stuff of narrative"
	6.	heart - an inclination or tendency of a certain kind; "he had a change of heart" spirit disposition, temperament - your usual mood; "he has a happy disposition"
	7.	heart - a plane figure with rounded sides curving inward at the top and intersecting at the bottom; conventionally used on playing cards and valentines; "he drew a heart and called it a valentine" plane figure, two-dimensional figure - a two-dimensional shape
	8.	heart - a firm rather dry variety meat (usually beef or veal); "a five-pound beef heart will serve six" organs, variety meat - edible viscera of a butchered animal
	9.	heart - a positive feeling of liking; "he had trouble expressing the affection he felt"; "the child won everyone's heart"; "the warmness of his welcome made us feel right at home" affection, affectionateness, philia, warmness, warmheartedness, fondness, tenderness feeling - the experiencing of affective and emotional states; "she had a feeling of euphoria"; "he had terrible feelings of guilt"; "I disliked him and the feeling was mutual" attachment, fond regard - a feeling of affection for a person or an institution protectiveness - a feeling of protective affection regard, respect - a feeling of friendship and esteem; "she mistook his manly regard for love"; "he inspires respect" soft spot - a sentimental affection; "she had a soft spot for her youngest son"
	10.	heart - a playing card in the major suit that has one or more red hearts on it; "he led the queen of hearts"; "hearts were trumps" major suit - (bridge) a suit of superior scoring value, either spades or hearts playing card - one of a pack of cards that are used to play card games

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heart

noun 1. emotions, feelings, sentiments, love, affection

noun 2. nature, character, soul, constitution, essence, temperament, inclination, disposition

noun 3. tenderness, feeling(s), love, understanding, concern, sympathy, pity, humanity, affection, compassion, kindness, empathy, benevolence, concern for others

noun 4. root, core, essence, centre, nucleus, marrow, hub, kernel, crux, gist, central part, nitty-gritty (informal) nub, pith, quintessence

noun 5. courage, will, spirit, mind, purpose, bottle Brit. (informal) resolution, resolve, nerve, stomach, enthusiasm, determination, guts (informal) spine, pluck, bravery, backbone, fortitude, mettle, boldness, spunk (informal) >> by heart from or by memory, verbatim, word for word, pat, word-perfect, by rote, off by heart, off pat, parrot-fashion (informal) from (the bottom of) your heart deeply, heartily, fervently, heart and soul, devoutly, with all your heart take heart be encouraged, be comforted, cheer up, perk up, brighten up, be heartened, buck up (informal) derive comfort >> adjective cardiac

Translations

heart [hɑːt] n → corazón m;

hearts npl (CARDS) → corazones mpl;

at heart → en el fondo;

by heart [learn, know] → de memoria;

to have a weak heart → tener el corazón débil;

to set one's heart on sth/on doing sth → anhelar algo/hacer algo;

I did not have the heart to tell her → no tuve valor para decírselo;

to take heart → cobrar ánimos;

the heart of the matter → lo esencial or el meollo del asunto

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heart [hɑːt] n → cœur m;

hearts npl (Cards) → cœur;

at heart → au fond;

by heart [learn, know] → par cœur;

to have a weak heart → avoir le cœur malade, avoir des problèmes de cœur;

to lose/take heart → perdre/prendre courage;

to set one's heart on sth/on doing sth → vouloir absolument qch/faire qch;

the heart of the matter → le fond du problème

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heart [hɑːt] n → Herz nt;

(of problem) → Kern m;

hearts npl (Cards) → Herz nt;

to lose heart → den Mut verlieren;

to take heart → Mut fassen;

at heart → im Grunde;

by heart → auswendig;

to set one's heart on sth → sein Herz an etw acc hängen;

to set one's heart on doing sth → alles daransetzen, etw zu tun;

the heart of the matter → der Kern der Sache

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heart [hɑːt] n → cuore m;

hearts npl (CARDS) → cuori mpl;

at heart → in fondo;

by heart [learn, know] → a memoria;

to take heart → farsi coraggio or animo;

to lose heart → perdere coraggio, scoraggiarsi;

to have a weak heart → avere il cuore debole;

to set one's heart on sth/on doing sth → tenere molto a qc/a fare qc;

the heart of the matter → il nocciolo della questione