heart

n.
1 a hollow muscular organ maintaining the circulation of blood by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
2 the region of the heart; the breast.
3 a the heart regarded as the centre of thought, feeling, and emotion (esp. love). b a person's capacity for feeling emotion (has no heart).
4 a courage or enthusiasm (take heart; lose heart). b one's mood or feeling (change of heart).
5 a the central or innermost part of something. b the vital part or essence (the heart of the matter).
6 the close compact head of a cabbage, lettuce, etc.
7 a a heart-shaped thing. b a conventional representation of a heart with two equal curves meeting at a point at the bottom and a cusp at the top.
8 a a playing-card of a suit denoted by a red figure of a heart. b (in pl.) this suit. c (in pl.) a card-game in which players avoid taking tricks containing a card of this suit.
9 condition of land as regards fertility (in good heart).
Phrases and idioms:
after one's own heart such as one likes or desires. at heart
1 in one's inmost feelings.
2 basically, essentially. break a person's heart overwhelm a person with sorrow. by heart in or from memory.
close to (or near) one's heart
1 dear to one.
2 affecting one deeply. from the heart (or the bottom of one's heart) sincerely, profoundly. give (or lose) one's heart (often foll. by to) fall in love (with). have a heart be merciful. have the heart (usu. with neg.; foll. by to + infin.) be insensitive or hard-hearted enough (didn't have the heart to ask him). have (or put) one's heart in be keenly involved in or committed to (an enterprise etc.). have one's heart in one's mouth be greatly alarmed or apprehensive. have one's heart in the right place be sincere or well-intentioned. heart attack a sudden occurrence of coronary thrombosis usu. resulting in the death of part of a heart muscle. heart failure a gradual failure of the heart to function properly, resulting in breathlessness, oedema, etc. heart-lung machine a machine that temporarily takes over the functions of the heart and lungs, esp. in surgery. heart of gold a generous nature. heart of oak a courageous nature. heart of stone a stern or cruel nature. heart-rending very distressing. heart-rendingly in a heart-rending way. heart's-blood lifeblood, life. heart-searching the thorough examination of one's own feelings and motives. heart to heart candidly, intimately. heart-to-heart adj. (of a conversation etc.) candid, intimate.
—n. a candid or personal conversation. heart-warming emotionally rewarding or uplifting. in heart in good spirits. in one's heart of hearts in one's inmost feelings. out of heart in low spirits. take to heart be much affected or distressed by. to one's heart's content see CONTENT(1). wear one's heart on one's sleeve make one's feelings apparent. with all one's heart sincerely; with all goodwill. with one's whole heart with enthusiasm; without doubts or reservations.
Derivatives:
-hearted adj.
Etymology: OE heorte f. Gmc