heave

 
Pronunciation: /hiːv/

verb (past and past participle heaved or chiefly Nautical hove /həʊv/)

  • 1 [with object and adverbial of direction] lift or haul (something heavy) with great effort: she heaved the sofa back into place he heaved himself out of bed
  • 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
  • 4 [with object] Nautical pull, raise, or move (a boat or ship) by hauling on a rope or ropes: Martin thought he might be able to heave the lifeboat in closer

noun

  • 1an act of heaving: with that last heave, Maurice’s anchor wrenched clear of the mud
  • 2 Geology a sideways displacement in a fault.
  • 3 (heaves)another term for COPD in horses.

Phrases

heave in sight (or into view)

Nautical come into view: they held out until a British fleet hove in sight

Phrasal Verbs

heave to

(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'