Heat
|heat|
/hiːt/
(heat)
high temperature
Etymology
'heat' originates from Old English, specifically the words 'hǣtu' (noun) and 'hǣtan' (verb), where Proto-Germanic '*haitiz' meant 'heat, warmth'.
'heat' changed from Old English 'hǣtu'/'hǣtan' and from Proto-Germanic forms, and eventually became the modern English word 'heat' through regular sound changes in Middle English.
Initially, it meant 'warmth' or 'the state of being hot', and over time it retained that core meaning while also developing related senses (e.g., intensity, preliminary race, slang for firearm).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or condition of being hot; high temperature.
The heat in the room was unbearable.
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Noun 2
thermal energy transferred between systems or objects (physics).
Heat flows from hotter objects to colder ones.
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Noun 3
a qualifying race or preliminary round in track, swimming, motorsport, etc.
She won her heat and advanced to the final.
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Noun 4
pressure, intensity, or critical attention (often plural or uncountable in this sense).
The company felt heat from regulators.
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Noun 6
the period of sexual receptivity (estrus) in animals: being 'in heat'.
The mare is in heat this spring.
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Verb 1
to make something hot or warmer; to raise the temperature of.
Heat the soup before serving.
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Verb 2
to become hot or to increase in temperature or intensity.
The debate began to heat in the second half.
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Last updated: 2025/08/13 01:25