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heave

Syllabification: (heave)
Pronunciation: /hēv/

Translate heave | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of heave

verb (pastand past participle heaved or chiefly Nauticalhove /hōv/)

  • 1 [with object] lift or haul (a heavy thing) with great effort:she heaved the sofa back into place he heaved himself out of bed
  • Nautical pull, raise, or move (a boat or ship) by hauling on a rope or ropes.
  • informal throw (something heavy):she heaved half a brick at him
  • 2 [with object] produce (a sigh):he heaved a euphoric sigh of relief
  • 3 [no object] rise and fall rhythmically or spasmodically:his shoulders heaved as he panted
  • make an effort to vomit; retch:my stomach heaved

noun

  • 1an act of heaving, especially a strong pull.
  • Geology a sideways displacement in a fault.
  • 2 (the heaves) informal a case of retching or vomiting:waiting for the heaves to subside
  • 3 (heaves) a disease of horses, with labored breathing.

Phrases

heave in sight (or into view)

chiefly Nautical come into view:the three canoes hove into view

Phrasal Verbs

heave to

Nautical (of a boat or ship) come to a stop, especially by turning across the wind leaving the headsail backed:he hove to and dropped anchor

Derivatives

heaver

noun

Origin:

Old English hebban, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heffen and German heben 'lift up'

heave in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of heave in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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