**heartache**
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when I saw the length of the queue. **14 my heart was in my mouth** *infml* I was full of fear for a short time: *My heart was in my mouth as she made her last jump.* **15 take heart** to be encouraged **16 set one's heart on something** to want something very much and to expect to have or do it: *The children have set their hearts on going to the zoo, so we can't disappoint them.* **17 take something to heart** to feel the effect of something deeply (and take suitable action): *She took your criticisms very much to heart and she's working harder now.* | *Don't take what she says so much to heart.* **18 the way to a man's heart is through his stomach** saying the way to make a man love you is to cook good food for him **19 to one's heart's content** as much as one wants: *It's the weekend, so you can sleep to your heart's content.* **20 have a heart of gold** (used about someone who is very kind, especially when they do not seem to be kind): *Your uncle helped a lot of people - he had a heart of gold.* | *They say Vinnie has a heart of gold when he's not playing football.* **21 -hearted** /'hɑːtɪd||'hɑːrt-/ (having a heart or character of the stated kind): *kind-hearted* | *cold-hearted* (=without kind feelings) | *stout-hearted* (=full of determination) $\rightarrow$ see also BROKEN-HEARTED, LONELY HEARTS, PURPLE HEART, eat your heart out (EAT), lose your heart to (LOSE), wear one's heart on one's sleeve (WEAR$^1$)
**heart·ache** /'hɑːteɪk||'hɑːrt-/ *n* [U] *especially lit* deep feelings of sorrow
**'heart at,tack** *n* a sudden serious medical condition in which the heart stops working properly, usually because of a CORONARY $\rightarrow$ compare HEART DISEASE
**heart·beat** /'hɑːtbiːt||'hɑːrt-/ *n* **1** [U] the action or sound of the heart as it pushes the blood round the body **2** [C] one pushing movement of the heart: *We thought he was dead, but then we detected a heartbeat.*
**heart·break** /'hɑːtbreɪk||'hɑːrt-/ *n* [U] deep sorrow or terrible disappointment
**heart·break·ing** /'hɑːt,breɪkɪŋ||'hɑːrt-/ *adj* causing deep sorrow or terrible disappointment: *a heartbreaking news report about starving children* **--ly** *adv*
**heart·bro·ken** /'hɑːt,brəʊkən||'hɑːrt-/ also **broken-hearted** *adj* (of a person) with deeply hurt feelings; full of sorrow: *absolutely heartbroken over the death of her pet cat*
**heart·burn** /'hɑːtbɜːn||'hɑːrtbɜːrn/ *n* [U] *not tech* a condition in which one feels an unpleasant burning in the chest, caused by acid acting on food in the stomach; it is a sign of INDIGESTION
**'heart dis,ease** *n* [C;U] (an) illness which prevents the heart from working properly. Britain has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the world. $\rightarrow$ compare HEART ATTACK
**heart·en** /'hɑːtn||'hɑːrt-/ *v* [T often pass.] to cause to feel happier or more hopeful; encourage: *We were heartened by the fall in the unemployment figures.* | *heartening news* $\rightarrow$ opposite DISHEARTEN **--ingly** *adv*
**'heart ,failure** *n* [U] the stopping of the movement of the heart, especially resulting in death
**heart·felt** /'hɑːtfelt||'hɑːrt-/ *adj* deeply felt; sincere: *a heartfelt apology* | *my heartfelt thanks*
**hearth** /hɑːθ||hɑːrθ/ *n* **1** the area around the fire in a house, especially the floor of the fireplace. The hearth is often thought of as the centre of a family's life. **2 hearth and home** home as a centre of family life
**hearth·rug** /'hɑːθrʌg||'hɑːrθ-/ *n* a RUG (=type of floor covering) in front of the fireplace
**heart·i·ly** /'hɑːtɪli||'hɑːrt-/ *adv* **1 a)** with strength, force etc: *He laughed heartily.* **b)** in large amounts: *They ate heartily.* **2** thoroughly: *I'm heartily sick of your constant complaining.*
**heart·land** /'hɑːtlænd||'hɑːrt-/ *n* the central or most important part of a country or area: *the Russian heartland*
**heart·less** /'hɑːtləs||'hɑːrt-/ *adj* cruel; unkind; pitiless: *a heartless refusal/attitude* | *How can you be so heartless?* **--ly** *adv* **--ness** *n* [U]
**'heart-'lung ma,chine** *n* a machine which can do the work of a person's heart while a doctor is operating on the heart
**,Heart of 'Darkness** (1902) a book by Joseph CONRAD in which the main character, Marlow, travels on a river through Africa until he meets Kurtz, an educated white man who has stopped accepting Western values and has become the violent, powerful ruler of an African community
**,Heart of 'England, the** the central area of England, which is very industrial. This expression is used especially to make the area sound more attractive to tourists.
**heart·rend·ing** /'hɑːt,rendɪŋ||'hɑːrt-/ *adj* causing deep sorrow or pity; PITIFUL: *the heartrending cries of the starving children* **--ly** *adv*
**'heart-,searching** *n* [U] painful thinking about one's attitude or behaviour in a difficult situation: *After much heart-searching, they decided to have the baby adopted.*
**heart·sick** /'hɑːt,sɪk||'hɑːrt-/ *adj* *especially lit* feeling very unhappy or disappointed
**'heart-,stopping** *adj* very exciting or frightening: *For a heart-stopping moment, she thought she heard footsteps downstairs.*
**heart·strings** /'hɑːt,strɪŋz||'hɑːrt-/ *n* [P] someone's deep feelings of love and sympathy: *The sight of the little boy crying tugged at my heartstrings.*
**heart·throb** /'hɑːtθrɒb||'hɑːrtθrɑːb/ *n* *slang* a man who is very attractive and with whom girls fall in love
**'heart-to-'heart** *n, adj* [A] (a talk) that is open and sincere, especially between two people, mentioning personal details, without hiding anything: *It's time we had a heart-to-heart (chat) about your work.*
**heart·warm·ing** /'hɑːt,wɔːmɪŋ||'hɑːrt,wɔːr-/ *adj* giving a feeling of pleasure, especially when someone has been very kind: *a heartwarming response to our appeal for help* **--ly** *adv*
**heart·wood** /'hɑːtwʊd||'hɑːrt-/ *n* [U] the older harder wood at the centre of a tree $\rightarrow$ compare SAPWOOD
**heart·y** /'hɑːti||'hɑːrti/ *adj* **1** friendly and sincere; WARMHEARTED: *a hearty welcome* **2 (of a person)** strong and healthy; full of VIGOUR: *He's very hale and hearty for a man of 75.* **3 (of meals)** large; SUBSTANTIAL **4** *infml, especially BrE* (too) cheerful, especially when noisy and trying to appear friendly **5 my hearties** *old use* (a friendly form of address used by and to men, especially sailors): *Pull away, my hearties!* $\rightarrow$ see also HEARTILY **--iness** *n* [U]
**heat$^1$** /hiːt/ *v* [I;T(UP)] to make or become warm or hot: *We'll heat (up) some milk for the coffee.* | *a pan of water heating on the stove* | *a heated swimming pool*
**heat$^2$** *n* **1** [U] the degree of hotness; temperature: *Use the circular switch to adjust the heat of the oven.* **2** [U] **a)** condition of being hot; high temperature: *The heat from the fire dried their clothes.* | *a chemical reaction that produces tremendous heat* | *The spacecraft is made of heat-resistant metal.* **b)** hot weather: *I can't walk about in this heat.* | *We liked living in a tropical country but we couldn't stand the heat.* **3** [U] a state or time of great excitement or activity, or strong feeling: *In the heat of the moment/argument I lost my self-control.* | *The heat is on.* (=activity, excitement, and pressure have started) | *take the heat off* (=reduce the pressure) | *He tried to take the heat out of the debate.* (=tried to calm the feelings of those taking part) $\rightarrow$ see also HEATED **4** [U] a state of sexual excitement happening regularly to certain female animals, such as female dogs (especially in the phrases **on heat** (*BrE*) / **in heat** (*AmE*)) **5** [C] a part of a race or competition whose winners then compete against other winners to decide the end result: *She was knocked out in the qualifying heats.* **6** [U] *tech* the force produced by the movement of groups of atoms $\rightarrow$ see also DEAD HEAT, PRICKLY HEAT, WHITE HEAT **7 the heat is on someone** is under a lot of pressure, usually to work harder: *The heat is on for him now - he either improves his work or he loses his job.* **8 If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen** *quote* if you are not able to deal with the problems and pressures of your job, you should change your job; a phrase first used by the US president Harry S. Truman
**heat·ed** /'hiːtɪd/ *adj* with strong, excited, and often angry feelings; IMPASSIONED: *a heated debate* | *She got very heated about it.* $\rightarrow$ compare HOT$^1$ **--ly** *adv*
**heat·er** /'hiːtə/ *n* a machine for heating air or water: *Did you remember to turn the heater off?* | *a fan heater* $\rightarrow$ compare STOVE$^1$
**'heat ex,changer** *n* a piece of equipment in a car heater or