heat

 
Pronunciation: /hiːt/

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1the quality of being hot; high temperature: the fierce heat of the sun
  • Physics heat seen as a form of energy arising from the random motion of the molecules of bodies, which may be transferred by conduction, convection, or radiation.
  • hot weather conditions: the oppressive heat was making both men sweat
  • a source or level of heat for cooking: remove from the heat and beat in the butter
  • a spicy quality in food that produces a burning sensation in the mouth: chilli peppers add taste and heat to food
  • technical the amount of heat that is needed to cause a specific process or is evolved in such a process: the heat of formation
  • [count noun] technical a single operation of heating something, especially metal in a furnace: about 100 tons is removed in each heat
  • 2intensity of feeling, especially of anger or excitement: conciliation services are designed to take the heat out of disputes
  • (the heat) informal intensive and unwelcome pressure or criticism, especially from the authorities: a flurry of legal proceedings turned up the heat in the dispute the heat is on
  • 3 [count noun] a preliminary round in a race or contest: winners of the regional heats

verb

  • make or become hot or warm: [with object]: the room faces north and is difficult to heat [no object]: the pipes expand as they heat up
  • [no object] (heat up) (of a person) become excited or impassioned: he seemed to calm down as quickly as he had heated up
  • [no object] (heat up) become more intense and exciting: the action really begins to heat up
  • [with object] archaic inflame; excite: this discourse had heated them

Phrases

if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen

proverb if you can’t deal with the pressures and difficulties of a situation, you should leave others to deal with it rather than complaining.

in the heat of the moment

while temporarily angry, excited, or engrossed, and without stopping for thought: things said in the heat of the moment

on (or North American in) heat

(of a female mammal) in the receptive period of the sexual cycle; in oestrus: the female is only on heat for a few days

Origin:

Old English hǣtu (noun), hǣtan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hitte (noun) and German heizen (verb), also to hot