heart

name

1. A surname.

noun

Etymology: PIE word *ḱḗr Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd- Proto-Indo-European *ḱérd Proto-Germanic *hertô Proto-West Germanic *hertā Old English heorte Middle English herte English heart 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; see also core. Cognate with Dutch hart, German Herz, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål hjerte, Norwegian Nynorsk hjarte, Swedish hjärta, Faroese and Icelandic hjarta. 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. The verb sense “to love” is from the 1977 I ❤ NY advertising campaign. Notes on spelling The spelling ⟨ear⟩ for /ɑː(ɹ)/ is paralleled by hearken and hearth, but is problematic since an Early Modern variant with /ɛːr/ can be posited for those words, but not heart. Perhaps it represents Middle Scots hart /hɛːrt/ (reflecting the Scots lengthening of /a/ before /r/ then a consonant, then the early actuation of the Great Vowel Shift in Scots) or a parallel development in Northern England. Alternatively, a back-spelling by speakers of dialects where preconsonantal /ɛːr/ was shortened early, allowing it to undergo the late Middle English lowering to /ar/ (reflected in forms such as larn "learn") is possible.

1. A muscular organ that pumps blood through the body, traditionally thought to be the seat of emotion.

   “[…] I did almoſt beleeve, that the motion of the Heart vvas knovvn to God alone: […]”

2. One's feelings and emotions, especially considered as part of one's character.

   “She has a cold heart.”

   “In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road.”

3. 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”

   “Her heart was singing.”

4. 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.”

   “Eve, recovering heart, replied.”

5. Vigorous and efficient activity; power of fertile production; condition of the soil, whether good or bad.

   “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.”

6. A term of affectionate or kindly and familiar address.

   “Listen, dear heart, we must go now.”

   “My King, my Jove, I speak to thee, my heart!”

7. Memory.

   “I know almost every Beatles song by heart.”

8. A wight or being.

   “[…] 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,[…]”

9. A conventional shape or symbol used to represent the heart, love, or emotion: ♥.

   “"Aw. Thank you." The Cherub kissed the air between them and sent a small cluster of tiny red hearts at her.”

10. A playing card of the suit hearts featuring one or more heart-shaped symbols.
11. The twenty-fourth Lenormand card.
12. The centre, essence, or core.

    “That is the heart of the matter”

    “The wood at the heart of a tree is the oldest.”

13. The centre, essence, or core.

verb

Etymology: PIE word *ḱḗr Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd- Proto-Indo-European *ḱérd Proto-Germanic *hertô Proto-West Germanic *hertā Old English heorte Middle English herte English heart 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; see also core. Cognate with Dutch hart, German Herz, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål hjerte, Norwegian Nynorsk hjarte, Swedish hjärta, Faroese and Icelandic hjarta. 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. The verb sense “to love” is from the 1977 I ❤ NY advertising campaign. Notes on spelling The spelling ⟨ear⟩ for /ɑː(ɹ)/ is paralleled by hearken and hearth, but is problematic since an Early Modern variant with /ɛːr/ can be posited for those words, but not heart. Perhaps it represents Middle Scots hart /hɛːrt/ (reflecting the Scots lengthening of /a/ before /r/ then a consonant, then the early actuation of the Great Vowel Shift in Scots) or a parallel development in Northern England. Alternatively, a back-spelling by speakers of dialects where preconsonantal /ɛːr/ was shortened early, allowing it to undergo the late Middle English lowering to /ar/ (reflected in forms such as larn "learn") is possible.

1. To be fond of. Often bracketed or abbreviated with a heart symbol.

   “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.”

2. To mark a comment, post, reply, etc., with the heart symbol (❤).

   “She hearted my photos of the kids playing with the dogs.”

3. To give heart to; to hearten; to encourage.

   “[…]My cause is hearted; thine hath no less reason.”

4. To fill an interior with rubble, as a wall or a breakwater.
5. To form a dense cluster of leaves, a heart, especially of lettuce or cabbage.