heart

See also: Heart and hèart

English

Diagram of the human heart.

The ace of hearts.

Alternative forms

hart, harte, hearte (all obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English herte, from Old English heorte (“heart”), from Proto-West Germanic *hertā, from Proto-Germanic *hertô (“heart”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱérd (“heart”). Doublet of cardia.

Most of the modern figurative senses (such as passion or compassion, spirit, inmost feelings, especially love, affection, and courage) were present in Old English. However, the meaning “center” dates from the early 14th century.[1]

The verb sense “to love” is from the 1977 I ❤ NY advertising campaign.[1]

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /hɑːt/
Audio (RP) (file)
(General American) enPR: härt, IPA^(key): /hɑɹt/
Audio (US, California) (file)
Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)t
Homophone: hart

Noun

heart (countable and uncountable, plural hearts)

(anatomy) A muscular organ that pumps blood through the body, traditionally thought to be the seat of emotion.
- 1653, William Harvey, “The Causes which Mov’d the Author to Write”, in [anonymous], transl., The Anatomical Exercises of Dr. William Harvey […] Concerning the Motion of the Heart and Blood. […], London: […] Francis Leach, for Richard Lownes […], OCLC 12104823, page 1:
  […] I did almoſt beleeve, that the motion of the Heart vvas knovvn to God alone: […]
(uncountable) One's feelings and emotions, especially considered as part of one's character.
She has a cold heart.
- 1852, Mrs M.A. Thompson, “The Tutor's Daughter”, in Graham's American Monthly Magazine of Literature, Art, and Fashion‎, page 266:
  In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road.
- 1943, Katherine Woods, transl., The Little Prince, translation of original by Antoine de Saint Exupéry:
  Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
- 2008, "Rights trampled in rush to deport immigrant workers," Quaker Action (magazine), vol. 89, no. 3, page 8:
  "We provided a lot of brains and a lot of heart to the response when it was needed," says Sandra Sanchez, director of AFSC's Immigrants' Voice Program in Des Moines.
- 2011 September 2, “Wales 2-1 Montenegrof”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎:
  The result still leaves Wales bottom of the group but in better heart for Tuesday night's trip to face England at Wembley, who are now outright leaders after their 3-0 win in Bulgaria.
The seat of the affections or sensibilities, collectively or separately, as love, hate, joy, grief, courage, etc.; rarely, the seat of the understanding or will; usually in a good sense; personality.
a good, tender, loving, bad, hard, or selfish heart
- c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii:
  Upon his browes was pourtraid vgly death,/And in his eies the furies of his heart,/That ſhine as Comets, menacing reueng,/And caſts a pale complexion on his cheeks.
Emotional strength that allows one to continue in difficult situations; courage; spirit; a will to compete.
The team lost, but they showed a lot of heart.
Synonyms: bravery, nerve, spirit; see also Thesaurus:courage
- 2016 September 28, Tom English, “Celtic 3–3 Manchester City”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎, BBC Sport:
  The heart from the home team was immense. Some of them were out on their feet before the end, but they dug in, throwing themselves in front of shots and crosses, surviving.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
  Eve, recovering heart, replied.
- c. 1679, William Temple, Essay
  The expelled nations take heart, and when they fled from one country, invaded another.
Vigorous and efficient activity; power of fertile production; condition of the soil, whether good or bad.
- 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432, lines 106–109, page 52:
  Both theſe unhappy Soils the Swain forbears, / And keeps a Sabbath of alternate Years: / That the ſpent Earth may gather heart again; / And, better'd by Ceſſation, bear the Grain.
(archaic) A term of affectionate or kindly and familiar address.
Synonyms: honey, sugar; see also Thesaurus:sweetheart
Listen, dear heart, we must go now.
- c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene v]:
  My King, my Jove, I speak to thee, my heart!
- 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene ii]:
  Awake, dear heart, awake. Thou hast slept well./Awake.
- 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, page 9–10:
  Certain unscrupulous men may call upon you here in your dressing-room. They will lavish you with flowers, with compliments, with phials of Hungary water and methuselahs of the costliest champagne. You must be wary of such men, my hearts, they are not to be trusted.
(obsolete, except in the phrase "by heart") Memory.
I know almost every Beatles song by heart.
(figurative) A wight or being.
- c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene i]:
  […] I would outstare the sternest eyes that look, / Outbrave the heart most daring on earth, / Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear, / Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey, […]
A conventional shape or symbol used to represent the heart, love, or emotion: ♥ or sometimes <3.
- 1998, Pat Cadigan, Tea From an Empty Cup, page 106:
  "Aw. Thank you." The Cherub kissed the air between them and sent a small cluster of tiny red hearts at her.
A playing card of the suit hearts featuring one or more heart-shaped symbols.
(cartomancy) The twenty-fourth Lenormand card.
(figurative) The centre, essence, or core.
Synonyms: crux, gist; see also Thesaurus:gist
The wood at the heart of a tree is the oldest.
Buddhists believe that suffering is right at the heart of all life.
- 1899, Robert Barr, chapter 3, in The Strong Arm:
  At last she spoke in a low voice, hesitating slightly, nevertheless going with incisive directness into the very heart of the problem.
- 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, OCLC 246633669, PC, scene: Feros:
  Arcelia Silva Martinez: Watch out!/Arcelia Silva Martinez: We've got geth in the tower./Fai Dan: Protect the heart of the colony!
- 2011 December 27, Mike Henson, “Norwich 0 - 2 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport‎:
  Norwich's attack centred on a front pair of Steve Morison and Grant Holt, but Younes Kaboul at the heart of the Tottenham defence dominated in the air.

Derived terms

after one's own heart
all heart
artichoke heart
at heart
be still my heart
bleeding heart
bless someone's heart
break someone's heart
by heart
change of heart
cold hands, warm heart
congestive heart failure
coronary heart disease
dishearten
eat one's heart out
enhearten
from the bottom of one's heart
good-hearted
halfhearted
hard-hearted
have one's heart in the right place
heartache
heart attack
heartbeat
heart block
heartbreak
heartbreaker
heart-breaking
heartbroken
heartburn
heart disease
hearten
heart failure
heartfelt
heart-free
heartful
heart-healthy
heartland
heartless
heart-lung machine
heart of grace
heart of palm
heart pine
heartrending
heartsease
heartsick
heartsome
heartsore
heart-stopping
heartstring
heartthrob
heart-to-heart
heartwarming
heart-whole
heartwood
heartworm
hearty
heavy heart
home is where the heart is
lose heart
lose one's heart
love heart
open-hearted
open-heart surgery
pour one's heart out
Purple Heart
put one's heart on one's sleeve
set one's heart on
sick at heart
single-hearted
sweetheart
take heart
the way to a man's heart is through his stomach
warm the cockles of someone's heart
wear one's heart on one's sleeve
wholehearted
win someone's heart

Descendants

Torres Strait Creole: at
→ Bengali: হার্ট (harṭô)
→ Cebuano: Heart
→ Irish: hart
→ Japanese: ハート (hāto); ハツ (hatsu) (from hearts)
→ Korean: 하트 (hateu)

Translations

See heart/translations § Noun.

Verb

heart (third-person singular simple present hearts, present participle hearting, simple past and past participle hearted)

(transitive, humorous, informal) To be fond of. Often bracketed or abbreviated with a heart symbol. [from late 20th c.]
Synonyms: love, less than three
- 2001 April 6, Michael Baldwin, "The Heart Has Its Reasons", Commonweal
  We're but the sum of all our terrors until we heart the dove.
- 2006, Susan Reinhardt, Bulldog doesn't have to rely on the kindness of strangers to draw attention, Citizen-Times.com
  I guess at this point we were supposed to feel elated she'd come to her senses and decided she hearts dogs after all.
- 2008 January 30, "Cheese in our time: Blur and Oasis to end feud with a Stilton", The Guardian (London)
  The further we delve into this "story", the more convinced we become of one thing: We heart the Goss.
- 2008 July 25, "The Media Hearts Obama?", On The Media, National Public Radio
- 2019 July 4, John Leland, “Why This Famous Graphic Designer, at 90, Still ♥s NY”, in New York Times‎:
  Lots of people say they love their hometown, but no one hearts NY quite like Milton Glaser.
(transitive, obsolete) To give heart to; to hearten; to encourage.
- c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene iii]:
  […] My cause is hearted; thine hath no less reason.
(transitive, masonry) To fill an interior with rubble, as a wall or a breakwater.
(intransitive, agriculture, botany) To form a dense cluster of leaves, a heart, especially of lettuce or cabbage.

References

Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “heart”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

Earth, Erath, Harte, Herat, Herta, Rathe, Taher, Terah, Thera, earth, hater, rathe, rehat, th'are, thare

Chinese

Etymology

From English heart.

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): haat¹

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: haat¹
  - Yale: hāat
  - Cantonese Pinyin: haat⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: had¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /haːt̚⁵/

Noun

heart

(Hong Kong Cantonese, figuratively) passion; determination (Classifier: 個／个 c)
有heart [Cantonese] ― jau⁵ haat¹ [Jyutping] ― passionate
冇heart [Cantonese] ― mou⁵ haat¹ [Jyutping] ― without passion

[etymonline-1] Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “heart”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

heart

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

Verb

See also

References

Further reading

Anagrams

Chinese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun