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heart 
Audio Help [hahrt] Pronunciation Key
Audio Help [hahrt] Pronunciation Key –noun
–verb (used with object)
—Idioms
| 1. | Anatomy. a hollow, pumplike organ of blood circulation, composed mainly of rhythmically contractile smooth muscle, located in the chest between the lungs and slightly to the left and consisting of four chambers: a right atrium that receives blood returning from the body via the superior and inferior vena cavae, a right ventricle that pumps the blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs for oxygenation, a left atrium that receives the oxygenated blood via the pulmonary veins and passes it through the mitral valve, and a left ventricle that pumps the oxygenated blood, via the aorta, throughout the body. |
| 2. | Zoology.
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| 3. | the center of the total personality, esp. with reference to intuition, feeling, or emotion: In your heart you know I'm an honest man. |
| 4. | the center of emotion, esp. as contrasted to the head as the center of the intellect: His head told him not to fall in love, but his heart had the final say. |
| 5. | capacity for sympathy; feeling; affection: His heart moved him to help the needy. |
| 6. | spirit, courage, or enthusiasm: His heart sank when he walked into the room and saw their gloomy faces. |
| 7. | the innermost or central part of anything: Notre Dame stands in the very heart of Paris. |
| 8. | the vital or essential part; core: the heart of the matter. |
| 9. | the breast or bosom: to clasp a person to one's heart. |
| 10. | a person (used esp. in expressions of praise or affection): dear heart. |
| 11. | a conventional shape with rounded sides meeting in a point at the bottom and curving inward to a cusp at the top. |
| 12. | a red figure or pip of this shape on a playing card. |
| 13. | a card of the suit bearing such figures. |
| 14. | hearts,
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| 15. | Botany. the core of a tree; the solid central part without sap or albumen. |
| 16. | good condition for production, growth, etc., as of land or crops. |
| 17. | Also called core. Ropemaking. a strand running through the center of a rope, the other strands being laid around it. |
| 18. | Archaic.
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| 19. | after one's own heart, in keeping with one's taste or preference: There's a man after my own heart! |
| 20. | at heart, in reality; fundamentally; basically: At heart she is a romantic. |
| 21. | break someone's heart, to cause someone great disappointment or sorrow, as to disappoint in love: The news that their son had been arrested broke their hearts. |
| 22. | by heart, by memory; word-for-word: They knew the song by heart. |
| 23. | cross one's heart, to maintain the truth of one's statement; affirm one's integrity: That's exactly what they told me, I cross my heart! |
| 24. | do someone's heart good, to give happiness or pleasure to; delight: It does my heart good to see you again. |
| 25. | eat one's heart out, to have sorrow or longing dominate one's emotions; grieve inconsolably: The children are eating their hearts out over their lost dog. |
| 26. | from the bottom of one's heart, with complete sincerity. Also, from one's heart, from the heart. |
| 27. | have a heart, to be compassionate or merciful: Please have a heart and give her another chance. |
| 28. | have at heart, to have as an object, aim, or desire: to have another's best interests at heart. |
| 29. | have one's heart in one's mouth, to be very anxious or fearful: He wanted to do the courageous thing, but his heart was in his mouth. |
| 30. | have one's heart in the right place, to be fundamentally kind, generous, or well-intentioned: The old gentleman may have a stern manner, but his heart is in the right place. |
| 31. | heart and soul, enthusiastically; fervently; completely: They entered heart and soul into the spirit of the holiday. |
| 32. | in one's heart of hearts, in one's private thoughts or feelings; deep within one: He knew, in his heart of hearts, that the news would be bad. |
| 33. | lose one's heart to, to fall in love with: He lost his heart to the prima ballerina. |
| 34. | near one's heart, of great interest or concern to one: It is a cause that is very near his heart. Also, close to one's heart. |
| 35. | not have the heart, to lack the necessary courage or callousness to do something: No one had the heart to tell him he was through as an actor. |
| 36. | set one's heart against, to be unalterably opposed to: She had set her heart against selling the statue. Also, have one's heart set against. |
| 37. | set one's heart at rest, to dismiss one's anxieties: She couldn't set her heart at rest until she knew he had returned safely. |
| 38. | set one's heart on, to wish for intensely; determine on: She has set her heart on going to Europe after graduation. Also, have one's heart set on. |
| 39. | take heart, to regain one's courage; become heartened: Her son's death was a great blow, but she eventually took heart, convinced that God had willed it. |
| 40. | take or lay to heart,
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| 41. | to one's heart's content, until one is satisfied; as much or as long as one wishes: The children played in the snow to their heart's content. |
| 42. | wear one's heart on one's sleeve,
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| 43. | with all one's heart,
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| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
take to heart
To learn more about take to heart visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
heart
Audio Help (härt) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) n.
tr.v. heart·ed, heart·ing, hearts Archaic To encourage; hearten. [Middle English hert, from Old English heorte; see kerd- in Indo-European roots.] |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
| take to heart | |
verb | |
| get down to; pay attention to; take seriously; "Attend to your duties, please" [syn: attend to] [ant: drop] |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
take to heart1
to be made very sad or upset by
Example: You mustn't take his unkind remarks to heart.
take to heart2Example: You mustn't take his unkind remarks to heart.
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to pay attention to
Example: He's taken my criticism to heart — his work has improved.
See also: -hearted, at heart, break someone's heart, by heart, heart-warming, heartache, heartbeat, heartbreak, heartbroken, heartburn, hearten, heartfelt, heartless, hearty, heart-to-heart, from the bottom of one's heart, have a change of heart, have a heart!, have at heart, heart, heart and soul, heart attack, heart failure, hearts, lose heart, not have the heart to, set one's heart on / have one's heart set on, take heart, to one's heart's content, with all one's heart, "take to heart" in any languageExample: He's taken my criticism to heart — his work has improved.
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
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