Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for "heaves"
  • plural of heave.
  • present tense form of heave (3rd person singular).

heaves

British  
/ hiːvz /

noun

  1. Also called: broken wind.  a chronic respiratory disorder of animals of the horse family caused by allergies and dust

  2. slang an attack of vomiting or retching

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He guides me inside a warehouse full of vast, bubbling water tanks and heaves out a haul of the squirming, long, thin black fish.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Cronin is loved for building teams that improve with the schedule, fight till the finish, and have been a couple of last-second Gonzaga heaves from seriously competing for a national title.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025

With each of their heaves, the rope squeaked and the branch above bounced precariously.

From National Geographic • Jan. 23, 2024

The map, the early morning, the letter that has traveled through the night to be delivered: A narrative heaves underneath the silence of the scene.

From New York Times • May 25, 2023

It was not far advanced into the spring, and the narrow streets were thick with mud, puddles bright in ruts near heaves.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "heaves" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com