heat

[ heet ]

/ hit /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR heat ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state of a body perceived as having or generating a relatively high degree of warmth.

the condition or quality of being hot: the heat of an oven.

the degree of hotness; temperature: moderate heat.

the sensation of warmth or hotness: unpleasant heat.

a bodily temperature higher than normal: the heat of a fever; the feeling of heat caused by physical exertion.

added or external energy that causes a rise in temperature, expansion, evaporation, or other physical change.

Physics. a nonmechanical energy transfer with reference to a temperature difference between a system and its surroundings or between two parts of the same system. Symbol: Q

a hot condition of the atmosphere or physical environment; hot season or weather.

a period of hot weather.

a sharp, pungent flavor, as that produced by strong spices.

warmth or intensity of feeling; vehemence; passion: He spoke with much heat and at great length.

maximum intensity in an activity, condition, etc.; the height of any action, situation, or the like: the heat of battle; the heat of passion.

extreme pressure, as of events, resulting in tension or strain: In the heat of his hasty departure he forgot his keys.

a single intense effort; a sustained, concentrated, and continuous operation: The painting was finished at a heat.

Slang. intensified pressure, especially in a police investigation.

Slang. the police.

Slang. armed protection, especially a pistol, revolver, or other firearm: All guards carry some heat.

Sports.

a single course in or division of a race or other contest.
a race or other contest in which competitors attempt to qualify for entry in the final race or contest.

Metallurgy.

a single operation of heating, as of metal in a furnace, in the treating and melting of metals.
a quantity of metal produced by such an operation.

Zoology.

sexual receptiveness in animals, especially females.
the period or duration of such receptiveness: to be in heat.

verb (used with object)

to make hot or warm (often followed by up).

to excite emotionally; inflame or rouse with passion.

verb (used without object)

to become hot or warm (often followed by up).

to become excited emotionally.

Verb Phrases

heat up, to increase or become more active or intense: Business competition will heat up toward the end of the year.

Nearby words

heartthrob, heartwarming, heartwood, heartworm, hearty, heat, heat barrier, heat capacity, heat cramp, heat cramps, heat death

Origin of heat

before 900; Middle English hete, Old English hǣtu; akin to German Hitze; see hot

SYNONYMS FOR heat

2 hotness, warmth.

3 caloricity.

11 ardor, fervor, zeal, flush, fever, excitement, impetuosity.

22 stimulate, warm, stir, animate.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR heat ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR heat

1 coolness.

11 indifference.

21 cool.

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Related forms

heat·a·ble, adjectiveheat·ful, adjectiveheat·less, adjectiveheat·like, adjective

re·heat, verbre·heat·a·ble, adjectiveself-heat·ing, adjectiveun·der·heat, verb (used with object)un·heat·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for heating

With Ebola still raging in West Africa, the race to find a vaccine is heating up.
The Race for the Ebola Vaccine|Abby Haglage|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We have no heating; there is no gas and it is very cold inside the prison.
An American Marine in Iran’s Prisons Goes on Hunger Strike|IranWire|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is provided with best conditions for water supply, heating and ventilation.
North Korea's Top College: Brainwash U|Justin Rohrlich|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, always, global warming could push the cutworm moths north, out of the park, by heating up the region.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Winds can either compress other clouds, heating them up and making stars, or break those clouds up.
The Supermassive Black Hole Smokescreen|Matthew R. Francis|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Allow the bulb and tube to cool, then repeat the heating once more.
A Handbook of Laboratory Glass-Blowing|Bernard D. Bolas
And as she carried the attempt too far, I got angry, and heating with a charm the prongs of my trident, I marked her on the loins.
The Kath Sarit Sgara|Somadeva Bhatta
These are large, deep vessels, provided with copper steam coils in the bottom for the purpose of heating the juice.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 633, February 18, 1888|Various
On this account it has been customary to say that the red end of the spectrum was the heating end.
The Telephone|A. E. Dolbear
In some of the walls the remains may be seen of terra-cotta pipes for heating the rooms.
Old Rome|Robert Burn

British Dictionary definitions for heating (1 of 2)

heating

/ (ˈhiːtɪŋ) /

noun

a device or system for supplying heat, esp central heating, to a building

the heat supplied

British Dictionary definitions for heating (2 of 2)

heat

/ (hiːt) /

noun

the energy transferred as a result of a difference in temperature
the random kinetic energy of the atoms, molecules, or ions in a substance or body

Related adjectives: thermal, calorific

the sensation caused in the body by heat energy; warmth

the state or quality of being hot

hot weatherthe heat of summer

intensity of feeling; passionthe heat of rage

pressurethe political heat on the government over the economy

the most intense or active partthe heat of the battle

a period or condition of sexual excitement in female mammals that occurs at oestrus

sport

a preliminary eliminating contest in a competition
a single section of a contest

slang police activity after a crimethe heat is off

mainly US slang criticism or abusehe took a lot of heat for that mistake

in the heat of the moment without pausing to think

on heat or in heat

Also: in season (of some female mammals) sexually receptive
in a state of sexual excitement

the heat slang the police

turn up the heat or turn on the heat informal to increase the intensity of activity, coercion, etc

verb

to make or become hot or warm

to make or become excited or intense

Derived Formsheatless, adjective

Word Origin for heat

Old English hǣtu; related to hāt hot, Old Frisian hēte heat, Old High German heizī

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for heating (1 of 2)

heat

Old English hætan "to heat; to become hot," from Proto-Germanic *haitijanam (see heat (n.)). Related: Heated (with many variants in Middle English); heating. Cf. Middle Dutch heeten, Dutch heten, German heizen "to heat."

Word Origin and History for heating (1 of 2)

heat

Old English hætu, hæto "heat, warmth; fervor ardor," from Proto-Germanic *haiti- "heat" (cf. Old Saxon hittia, Old Norse hiti, Old Frisian hete, German hitze "heat," Gothic heito "fever"), from PIE *kaid-, from root *kai- "heat." The same root is the source of Old English hat "hot" and hæða "hot weather" (see hot).

Meaning "a single course in a race," especially a horse race, is from 1660s, perhaps from earlier figurative sense of "violent action; a single intense effort" (late 14c.), or meaning "run given to a horse to prepare for a race" (1570s). This later expanded to "division of a race or contest when there are too many contestants to run at once," the winners of each heat then competing in a final race. Meaning "sexual excitement in animals" is from 1768. Meaning "trouble with the police" attested by 1920. Heat wave "period of excessive hot weather" first attested 1890; earlier in reference to solar cycles.

Medicine definitions for heating

heat

[ hēt ]

n.

A form of energy associated with the motion of atoms or molecules and capable of being transmitted through solid and fluid media by conduction, through fluid media by convection, and through empty space by radiation.

The sensation or perception of such energy as warmth or hotness.

An abnormally high bodily temperature, as from a fever.

Estrus.

Science definitions for heating

heat

[ hēt ]

Internal energy that is transferred to a physical system from outside the system because of a difference in temperature and does not result in work done by the system on its surroundings. Absorption of energy by a system as heat takes the form of increased kinetic energy of its molecules, thus resulting in an increase in temperature of the system. Heat is transferred from one system to another in the direction of higher to lower temperature. See also thermodynamics. See Note at temperature.

See estrus.

Culture definitions for heating

heat

In physics, a form of energy associated with the movement of atoms and molecules in any material. The higher the temperature of a material, the faster the atoms are moving, and hence the greater the amount of energy present as heat. (See infrared radiation.)

Idioms and Phrases with heating

heat

In addition to the idioms beginning with heat

heat up

also see:

dead heat
in heat
in the heat of the moment
turn up the heat

heat