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Webster 1913 Edition

Heel

Heel

(hēl)
,
Verb.
I.
[OE.
helden
to lean, incline, AS.
heldan
,
hyldan
; akin to Icel.
halla
, Dan.
helde
, Sw.
hälla
to tilt, pour, and perh. to E.
hill
.]
(Naut.)
To lean or tip to one side, as a ship;
as, the ship
heels
aport; the boat
heeled
over when the squall struck it.
Heeling error
(Naut.)
,
a deviation of the compass caused by the heeling of an iron vessel to one side or the other.

Heel

,
Noun.
[OE.
hele
,
heele
, AS.
hēla
, perh. for
hōhila
, fr. AS.
hōh
heel (cf.
Hough
); but cf. D.
hiel
, OFries.
heila
,
hēla
, Icel.
hæll
, Dan.
hæl
, Sw.
häl
, and L.
calx
. √12. Cf.
Inculcate
.]
1.
The hinder part of the foot; sometimes, the whole foot; – in man or quadrupeds.
He [the stag] calls to mind his strength and then his speed,
His winged
heels
and then his armed head.
Denham.
2.
The hinder part of any covering for the foot, as of a shoe, sock, etc.; specif., a solid part projecting downward from the hinder part of the sole of a boot or shoe.
3.
The latter or remaining part of anything; the closing or concluding part.
“The heel of a hunt.”
A. Trollope.
“The heel of the white loaf.”
Sir W. Scott.
4.
Anything regarded as like a human heel in shape; a protuberance; a knob.
5.
The part of a thing corresponding in position to the human heel; the lower part, or part on which a thing rests
; especially:
(a)
(Naut.)
The after end of a ship’s keel.
(b)
(Naut.)
The lower end of a mast, a boom, the bowsprit, the sternpost, etc.
(c)
(Mil.)
In a small arm, the corner of the but which is upwards in the firing position.
(d)
(Mil.)
The uppermost part of the blade of a sword, next to the hilt.
(e)
The part of any tool next the tang or handle;
as, the
heel
of a scythe
.
6.
(Man.)
Management by the heel, especially the spurred heel;
as, the horse understands the
heel
well
.
7.
(Arch.)
(a)
The lower end of a timber in a frame, as a post or rafter. In the United States, specif., the obtuse angle of the lower end of a rafter set sloping.
(b)
A cyma reversa; – so called by workmen.
Gwilt.
Heel chain
(Naut.)
,
a chain passing from the bowsprit cap around the heel of the jib boom.
–
Heel plate
,
the butt plate of a gun.
–
Heel of a rafter
.
(Arch.)
See
Heel
,
Noun.
, 7.
–
Heel ring
,
a ring for fastening a scythe blade to the snath.
–
Neck and heels
,
the whole body.
(Colloq.)
–
To be at the heels of
,
to pursue closely; to follow hard;
as, hungry want
is at
my
heels
.
Otway.
–
To be down at the heel
,
to be slovenly or in a poor plight.
–
To be out at the heels
,
to have on stockings that are worn out; hence, to be shabby, or in a poor plight.
Shak.
–
To cool the heels
.
See under
Cool
.
–
To go heels over head
,
to turn over so as to bring the heels uppermost; hence, to move in a inconsiderate, or rash, manner.
–
To have the heels of
,
to outrun.
–
To lay by the heels
,
to fetter; to shackle; to imprison.
Shak.
Addison.
–
To show the heels
,
to flee; to run from.
–
To take to the heels
,
to flee; to betake to flight.
–
To throw up another's heels
,
to trip him.
Bunyan.
–
To tread upon one's heels
,
to follow closely.
Shak.

Heel

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Heeled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Heeling
.]
1.
To perform by the use of the heels, as in dancing, running, and the like.
[R.]
I cannot sing,
Nor
heel
the high lavolt.
Shakespeare
2.
To add a heel to;
as, to
heel
a shoe
.
3.
To arm with a gaff, as a cock for fighting.

Webster 1828 Edition

Heel

HEEL

,
Noun.
[L. calx; Gr. a tumor.]
1.
The hind part of the foot, particularly of man; but it is applied also to the corresponding part of the feet of quadrupeds.
2.
The whole foot.
The stag recalls his strength, his speed,
His winged heels--
3.
The hind part of a shoe, either for man or beast.
4.
The part of a stocking intended for the heel.
To be out at the heels, is to have on stockings that are worn out.
5.
Something shaped like the human heel; a protuberance or knob.
6.
The latter part; as, a bill was introduced into the legislature at the heel of the session.
7.
A spur.
This horse understands the heel well.
8.
The after end of a ship's keel; the lower end of the stern-post to which it is connected; also,the lower end of a mast.
To be at the heels, to pursue closely; to follow hard; also, to attend closely.
Hungry want is at my heels.
To show the heels, to flee; to run from.
To take to the heels, to flee; to betake to flight.
To lay by the heels, to fetter; to shackle; to confine.
To have the heels of, to outrun.
Neck and heels, the whole length of the body.

HEEL

,
Verb.
I.
To dance.

HEEL

,
Verb.
T.
To arm a cock.
1.
To add a heel to; as, to heel a shoe.

HEEL

v.i. To incline; to lean; as a ship; as, the ship heels a-port, or a star-board.

Definition 2024

Heel

Heel

See also: heel and hééł

English

Proper noun

Heel

  1. A part of Maasgouw in the Netherlands

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /heːl/
    • Rhymes: -eːl

Noun

Heel m ‎(plural Heelen)

  1. hoe (tool)

heel

heel

See also: Heel and hééł

English

Noun

heel ‎(plural heels)

A girl's heel
Heel of a loaf of rye bread
  1. (anatomy) The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg.
    • Denham
      He [the stag] calls to mind his strength and then his speed, / His winged heels and then his armed head.
  2. The part of a shoe's sole which supports the foot's heel.
  3. The rear part of a sock or similar covering for the foot.
  4. (firearms) The back upper part of the stock.
  5. The last or lowest part of anything
    the heel of a mast
    the heel of a vessel.
    • A. Trollope
      the heel of a hunt
  6. (US, Ireland) A crust end-piece of a loaf of bread.
    • Sir Walter Scott
      the heel of the white loaf
  7. (US) The base of a bun sliced in half lengthwise.
    • 1996, Ester Reiter, Making Fast Food: From the Frying Pan Into the Fryer (page 100)
      The bottom half, or the bun heel is placed in the carton, and the pickle slices spread evenly over the meat or cheese.
  8. A contemptible, inconsiderate or thoughtless person.
  9. (slang, professional wrestling) A headlining wrestler regarded as a "bad guy," whose ring persona embodies villainous or reprehensible traits and demonstrates characteristics of a braggart and a troublemaker. Contrast with babyface.
    • 1992, Bruce Lincoln, Discourse and the Construction of Society (page 158)
      Freedman began his analysis by noting two important facts about professional wrestling: First, that heels triumph considerably more often than do babyfaces […]
  10. (card games) The cards set aside for later use in a patience or solitaire game.
  11. Anything regarded as like a human heel in shape; a protuberance; a knob.
  12. (architecture) The lower end of a timber in a frame, as a post or rafter. Specifically, (US), the obtuse angle of the lower end of a rafter set sloping.
  13. (architecture) A cyma reversa; so called by workmen.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Gwilt to this entry?)
  14. (carpentry) the short side of an angled cut
  15. (golf) The part of the face of the club head nearest the shaft.
  16. In a carding machine, the part of a flat nearest the cylinder.
  17. (plural) Women's high-heeled shoes.
Antonyms
  • (angled cut in carpentry): toe
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

heel ‎(third-person singular simple present heels, present participle heeling, simple past and past participle heeled)

  1. To follow at somebody's heels; to chase closely.
    She called to her dog to heel.
  2. To add a heel to, or increase the size of the heel of (a shoe or boot).
  3. To kick with the heel.
  4. (transitive) To perform by the use of the heels, as in dancing, running, etc.
    • Shakespeare
      I cannot sing, / Nor heel the high lavolt.
  5. (transitive) To arm with a gaff, as a cock for fighting.
  6. (golf, transitive) To hit (the ball) with the heel of the club.
  7. (American football, transitive) To make (a fair catch) standing with one foot forward, the heel on the ground and the toe up.
Translations

Etymology 2

Alteration of earlier heeld, from Middle English heelden, from Old English hyldan, hieldan ‎(“to incline”), cognate with Old Norse hella ‎(“to pour out”) ( > Danish hælde ‎(“lean, pour”)). More at hield.

Verb

heel ‎(third-person singular simple present heels, present participle heeling, simple past and past participle heeled)

  1. (intransitive) To incline to one side, to tilt (especially of ships).
Translations

Noun

heel ‎(plural heels)

  1. The act of inclining or canting from a vertical position; a cant.
    The ship gave a heel to port.
Synonyms

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -eːl
  • IPA(key): /ɦeːl/

Etymology

From Middle Dutch heel, from Old Dutch *hēl, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kóh₂ilus ‎(“healthy, whole”). Compare Low German heel, heil, hel, West Frisian hiel, German heil, English whole, hale, Danish hel.

Adjective

heel ‎(comparative heler, superlative heelst)

  1. complete, full, whole

Inflection

Inflection of heel
uninflected heel
inflected hele
comparative heler
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial heel heler het heelst
het heelste
indefinite m./f. sing. hele helere heelste
n. sing. heel heler heelste
plural hele helere heelste
definite hele helere heelste
partitive heels helers —

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Adverb

heel

  1. very

Usage notes

Although an adverb, heel may be inflected as well (hele) to match the following adjective. For example, both of these sentences are correct:

  • Dat is een heel grote boom.‎
    That is a very large tree.
  • Dat is een hele grote boom.‎
    That is a very large tree.

The latter form may be regarded as informal and less appropriate for formal writing.

Verb

heel

  1. first-person singular present indicative of helen
  2. imperative of helen

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English hele, heel, from Old English hēla, from Proto-Germanic *hanhilaz (compare North Frisian hael, Dutch hiel, Danish hæl, Swedish häl), diminutive of Proto-Germanic *hanhaz ‎(“hock”). More at hock.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hiːl/
  • Rhymes: -iːl
  • Homophones: heal, he'll, hill (in some dialects)

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