heck

¹

[hek]

interjection

1. (used as a mild expression of annoyance, rejection, disgust, etc.).

   What the heck do you care?

noun

1. something remarkable of its kind (usually used in the phraseheck of a ).

   That was a heck of an impressive speech. Have one heck of a good time.

heck

²

[hek]

noun

1. a comblike attachment on a loom, for guiding the warp threads as they are dressed for the warp beam.

2. a device that guides yarn onto the bobbin of a spinning wheel.

3. a gridlike arrangement of glass or metal rods below the hooks on a Jacquard loom, used for lifting all harness eyes equally or evenly.

heck

¹

/ hɛk /

interjection

1. a mild exclamation of surprise, irritation, etc

heck

²

/ hɛk /

noun

1. dialect,  a frame for obstructing the passage of fish in a river

Word History and Origins

Origin of heck¹

First recorded in 1850–55; euphemistic alteration of hell

Origin of heck²

1300–50; Middle English hekke, Old English hecc, variant of hæcc hatch ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of heck¹

C19: euphemistic for hell

Origin of heck²

C14: variant of _hatch ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. as heck (used as a mild intensifier).

   I say he's guilty as heck.

Example Sentences

“Well, you’ve got 50,000 people here that are really excited, and heck, you could go to a youth soccer game and get some people who say the wrong things,” Rea said.

From Los Angeles Times

He is only 18 but he already looks like one heck of a player.

From BBC

The only certainty is that James is going to make this decision on his own time, in his own voice, through his own podcast or social media or heck, maybe another 30-minute TV special called, “The Last Decision?”

From Los Angeles Times

The historic Dutch village of Zaanse Schans is well known for its windmills, which a heck of a lot of tourists want to go to see.

From BBC

Sean Penn also surprised the heck out of me with his performance in ‘One Battle After Another.’

From Los Angeles Times