by heart

Idioms  

1. Also, by rote. From memory; also, mechanically. For example, Betty had trouble learning the song by heart, but her teacher insisted on it, or Japanese schools put heavy emphasis on learning by rote. These terms are often put as. The first term was already used by Chaucer (in Troilus and Cressida). The variant, also dating from the 1300s, often implies mere memorization without deeper understanding. Both phrases remain in use, although this form of learning is no longer so widespread as it once was. Also see commit to memory.

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Example Sentences

It was a list almost every South Floridian knew by heart and could recite like a mantra.

From Literature

He was quoting a Bible verse that I knew by heart.

From Literature

It had been so long since she’d been forced to memorize a phone number, and she realized with dismay she did not know Anat’s number by heart.

From Literature

“How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?” isn’t a timeless classic that kids are likely to know by heart as they do “The Night Before Christmas.”

From Salon

The drug, called TY1, represents an early example of a new group of treatments aimed at restoring tissue harmed by heart attacks, inflammatory disorders or other medical conditions.

From Science Daily