heart
heart [heart hearts] BrE [hɑːt] NAmE [hɑːrt] noun
PART OF BODY
1. countable the organ in the chest that sends blood around the body, usually on the left in humans
• The patient's heart stopped beating for a few seconds.
•heart trouble/failure
•to have a weak heart
• I could feel my heart pounding in my chest (= because of excitement, etc.). 
see also coronary heart disease, ↑open-heart surgery
2. countable (literary)the outside part of the chest where the heart is
•She clasped the photo to her heart.
FEELINGS/EMOTIONS
3. countable the place in a person where the feelings and emotions are thought to be, especially those connected with love
• She has a kind heart.
• Have you no heart?
•He returned with a heavy heart (= sad).
•Her novels tend to deal with affairs of the heart.
•The story captured the hearts and minds of a generation.
see also ↑broken heart
-HEARTED
4. (in adjectives)having the type of character or personality mentioned
•cold-hearted
•kind-hearted
IMPORTANT PART
5. singular ~ (of sth) the most important part of sth
•the heart of the matter/problem
• The committee's report went to the heart of the government's dilemma.
• The distinction between right and wrong lies at the heart of all questions of morality.
CENTRE
6. countable, usually singular ~ (of sth) the part that is in the centre of sth
•a quiet hotel in the very heart of the city
OF CABBAGE
7. countable the smaller leaves in the middle of a ↑cabbage, ↑lettuce, etc.
SHAPE
8. countable a thing shaped like a heart, often red and used as a symbol of love; a symbol shaped like a heart used to mean the verb ‘love’
• The words ‘I love you’ were written inside a big red heart.
• (informal) I ♥New York.
IN CARD GAMES
9. heartsplural, uncountable one of the four sets of cards (called ↑suits) in a ↑pack of cards, with red heart symbols on them
•the queen of hearts
•Hearts is/are trumps.
10. countable one card from the set of hearts
•Who played that heart?
more at absence makes the heart grow fonder at ↑absence, a change of heart at ↑change n., cross my heart (and hope to die) at ↑cross v., eat your heart out at ↑eat, be etched on your heart/memory/mind at ↑etch, what the eye doesn't see (the heart doesn't grieve over) at ↑eye n., find it in your heart/yourself to do sth at ↑find v., out of the goodness of your heart at ↑goodness, home is where the heart is at ↑home n., have sb's interests at heart at ↑interest n., sick at heart at ↑sick adj., sob your heart out at ↑sob v., steal sb's heart at ↑steal v., strike fear, etc. into sb/sb's heart at ↑strike v., tear at your hearttear the heart out of sth at ↑tear 1 v., warm the cockles (of sb's heart) at ↑warm v., the way to sb's heart at ↑way n., wear your heart on your sleeve at ↑wear v., win sb's heart at ↑win v., young at heart at ↑young adj.
Idioms: ↑at heart ▪ ↑break somebody's heart ▪ ↑by heart ▪ ↑dear to somebody's heart ▪ ↑from the heart ▪ ↑give somebody heart ▪ ↑give your heart to somebody ▪ ↑have a heart of gold ▪ ↑have a heart of stone ▪ ↑have a heart! ▪ ↑have your heart set on something ▪ ↑heart and soul ▪ ↑in good heart ▪ ↑in your heart ▪ ↑it does somebody's heart good ▪ ↑let your heart rule your head ▪ ↑lose heart ▪ ↑lose your heart ▪ ↑man after your own heart ▪ ↑my heart bleeds ▪ ↑not have the heart ▪ ↑off by heart ▪ ↑pour out your heart to somebody ▪ ↑rip the heart out of something ▪ ↑set your heart on something ▪ ↑somebody's heart is in the right place ▪ ↑somebody's heart is in their mouth ▪ ↑somebody's heart leaps ▪ ↑somebody's heart misses a beat ▪ ↑somebody's heart sinks ▪ ↑take heart ▪ ↑take something to heart ▪ ↑with all your your whole heart ▪ ↑your heart goes out to somebody ▪ ↑your heart is not in something ▪ ↑your heart's content
See also: ↑off by heart
Word Origin:
Old English heorte, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hart and German Herz, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin cor, cord- and Greek kēr, kardia.
Example Bank:
•Finally, he broke down in tears and poured out his heart to her.
•He broke her heart.
•He committed himself heart and soul to the cause.
•He could have a change of heart and settle down to family life.
•He had no heart for arguing.
•He really puts his heart into his singing.
•He set off with a light heart.
•He smiled and her heart melted.
•Her heart isn't in her job.
•Her heart leaped with joy.
•Her novels tend to deal with affairs of the heart
•Her words pierced my heart.
•His sad story touched her heart.
•I could tell he spoke from the heart.
•I wish you well with all my heart.
•In my heart, I knew it wasn't true.
•Inside, his heart was slowly breaking.
•Just follow your heart and you'll be happy.
•Let's sing it one more time from the beginning— and put some heart into it!
•My heart aches when I think of their sorrow.
•Our hearts go out to= we sympathize deeply with the families of the victims.
•Relief filled his heart.
•The committee's report went to the heart of the government's dilemma.
•The heart pumps blood through the body.
•This brings us to the real heart of the matter.
•We live in the very heart of the city.
•With a heavy heart, she watched him go.
•a triple heart bypass operation
•everything your heart could desire
•open-heart surgery
•the issue at the heart of modern government
•to win the hearts and minds of the nation's youth
•‘Hillsdown’ is a quiet hotel in the very heart of the city.
•Cost is at the heart of the matter for the Government.
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