Your ShelfYour Projects
Webster's Dictionary (1865)

4 entries under this word

Heat

Heat, n.

noun

n. [A-S. hēte, hāto, hātu, Icel. hita, hiti, Sw. hetta, Dan. hede, D. & L. Ger. hitte, O. Fries. hete, heeth, N. Fries. hütte, hiette; O. H. Ger. hīza, hīzea, N. H. Ger. hitze. Cf. Goth. heito, fever-heat. See Hot.]

Sense 1. The force, agent, or principle in nature upon which depends the state of bodies as solid, fluid, or aeriform, and which is recognized by its effects in the phenomena of expansion, fusion, evaporation, &c., and which, as developed from its natural sources, fire, the sun’s rays, mechanical action, chemical combination, &c., becomes directly known to us through the sense of feeling. As affecting the human body, it produces different sensations, which are called by different names, as heat or sensible heat, warmth, cold, &c., according to its degree or amount relatively to the normal temperature of the body. On the hypothesis that it is a substance, or subtile, imponderable fluid, it has received also the name of caloric.

Sense 2. The sensation caused by caloric, or the principle of heat when present in excess, or above that which is normal to the human body; the bodily feeling experienced on exposure to fire, the sun’s rays, &c.; the reverse of cold.

Sense 3. High temperature, as distinguished from low temperature, or cold; as, the heat of summer and the cold of winter; the heat at noon is intense in the tropics; heat of the skin or body in fever, &c.

Else how had the world Avoided pinching cold and scorching heat? Milton.

Sense 4. Indication of high temperature; appearance, condition, or color of a body, as indicating its temperature; redness; high color; flush.

The heats smiths take of their iron are a blood-red heat, a white-flame heat, and a sparkling or welding heat. Moxon.

It has raised . . . heats in their faces. Addison.

Sense 5. The state of being once heated or hot; exposure to heat; as, to give the iron another heat.

Sense 6. A violent action unintermitted; a single effort, as in a race; a course.

Many causes . . . for refreshment between the heats. Dryden.

Sense 7. Utmost violence; rage; vehemence; as, the heat of battle, or party. “The heat of their division.” Shak.

Sense 8. Agitation of mind; inflammation or excitement; exasperation. “The heat and hurry of his rage.” South.

Sense 9. Animation in thought or discourse; ardor; fervency. “With all the strength and heat of eloquence.” Addison.

Sense 10. Fermentation.

Blood heat, the natural temperature of the human body, being about 98° of Fahrenheit.

Heat, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. HEATED (see HEAT, infra); p. pr. & vb. n. HEATING.] [A-S. hātan, D. hēten, Icel. heita, Sw. hetta, Dan. hede, Ger. hitzen.] To make hot; to communicate heat to, or cause to grow warm;—said (a.) Of inanimate objects; as, to heat an oven or furnace, an iron, or the like. “Heat me these irons hot.” Shak. (b.) Of animals, to excite by action, or to make feverish.

“Pray you walk softly; do not heat your blood.” Shak.

(c.) Of the passions, to inflame; to call forth; to excite to excess.

“A noble emulation heats your breast.” Dryden.

Heat, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. [A-S. hātian, Sw. hetta, Icel. hitna, O. H. Ger. hizōn.]

  1. To grow warm or hot by the action of fire or the communication of heat; as, the iron or the water heats slowly.
  2. To grow warm or hot by fermentation, or the development of heat by chemical action; as, green hay heats in a mow, and green corn in a bin.

Hĕat, imp. & p. p.

past tensepast participle

(hĕt), imp. & p. p. of heet. Formerly used, as by Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, for heated, and still sometimes heard in colloquial language.