falseheart

falseheart

English

Etymology

false +‎ heart

Noun

falseheart (countable and uncountable, plural falsehearts)

1. (forestry) Wood that gives an erroneous impression of being heartwood.
   • 1995, Shuming Wu, Wood Anatomy Research:

     Sometimes, because of the invasion of germs into the heart part, the brown or tawny falseheart with irregular figure appears.

   • 1995, L Wessoly, Fracture diagnosis of trees:

     Fungi break down the wood inwards from lopping wounds, causing white or brown rot. It occurs faster in old wood and wood no longer needed by the tree (depending on species and whether heartwood or falseheart is present).

2. (archaic) Insincerity or disloyalty, or a person who is insincere and disloyal.
   • 1883, Wilkie Collins, Heart and Science: A Story of the Present Time - Volume 1, page 178:

     I know her thoroughly; I have studied her thoroughly; I have looked into her falseheart. Nobody has discovered her but me.

   • 1896, James Willway Treadwell, California Banker's Magazine: Commercial and Real Estate Review:

     Slay the craven falsehearts, who speak lies for truth to give the dishonest measure of a false balance for the even, well-pressed measure of clearness, cleanness and righteousness.

   • 1992, Romance Languages Annual: RLA. - Volume 4, page 109:

     Her deceitful words here will be directly echoed, but with the negative switched to positive, by the lovers' beating hearts at the film's end. For the moment the falseheart counterpoint prevails, exemplified by Dominique's insincere response

Adjective

falseheart (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Synonym of false-hearted
   • 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2:

     I am thy king, and thou a falseheart traitor.

   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Black Arrow: A tale of two roses:

     Be but true to me—and I see y' are true—and betwixt you and me we shall bring that falseheart traitor to the death.

Anagrams

• heartleafs