1. 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.
• the homologous structure in other vertebrates, consisting of four chambers in mammals and birds and three chambers in reptiles and amphibians.
• the analogous contractile structure in invertebrate animals, as the tubular heart of the spider and earthworm.
3. the center of the total personality, especially with reference to intuition, feeling, or emotion: In your heart you know I'm an honest man.
4. the center of emotion, especially 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 people in need.
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 especially 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,
• the suit so marked: Hearts is trump. Hearts are trump.
• a game in which the players try to avoid taking tricks containing this suit.
15. 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. a strand running through the center of a rope, the other strands being laid around it.

18. Archaic.
• to fix in the heart.
• to encourage.
19. to like or enjoy very much; love: I heart Chicago.

20. in keeping with one's taste or preference: There's a man after my own heart!
21. in reality; fundamentally: At heart she is a romantic.
22. to cause someone great disappointment or sorrow, as to disappoint in love: The news that their son had been arrested broke their hearts.
23. by memory; word-for-word: They knew the song by heart.
24. to maintain the truth of one's statement; affirm one's integrity: That's exactly what they told me, I cross my heart!
25. to give happiness or pleasure to; delight: It does my heart good to see you again.
26. to have jealousy, longing, or sorrow dominate one's emotions (often used in the imperative and with jocular reference to a famous potential rival): My baby is a genius—Einstein, eat your heart out! He’s eating his heart out over his defeat.
27. with complete sincerity.
28. to be compassionate or merciful: Please have a heart and give her another chance.
29. to have as an object, aim, or desire: to have another's best interests at heart.
30. to be very anxious or fearful: He wanted to do the courageous thing, but his heart was in his mouth.
31. to be fundamentally kind, generous, or well-intentioned: The old gentleman may have a stern manner, but his heart is in the right place.
32. enthusiastically; fervently; completely: They entered heart and soul into the spirit of the holiday.
33. in one's private thoughts or feelings; deep within one: He knew, in his heart of hearts, that the news would be bad.
34. to fall in love with: He lost his heart to the prima ballerina.
35. See entry at my heart is full.
36. of great interest or concern to one: It is a cause that is very near to his heart.
37. to lack the necessary courage or callousness to do something: No one had the heart to tell him he was through as an actor.
38. to reveal one's thoughts or private feelings:She poured out her heart to me.
39. to be unalterably opposed to: She had set her heart against selling the statue.
40. to dismiss one's anxieties: She couldn't set her heart at rest until she knew he had returned safely.
41. to wish for intensely; determine on: She has set her heart on going to Europe after graduation.
42. 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.
43. take / lay to heart,
• to think seriously about; concern oneself with: He took to heart his father's advice.
• to be deeply affected by; grieve over: She was prone to take criticism too much to heart.
44. until one is satisfied; as much or as long as one wishes: The children played in the snow to their heart's content.
45. wear one's heart on one's sleeve,
• to make one's intimate feelings or personal affairs known to all: She was not the kind who would wear her heart on her sleeve.
• to be liable to fall in love; fall in love easily: How lovely to be young and wear our hearts on our sleeves!
46. with all one's heart,
• with earnestness or zeal.
• with willingness; cordially: She welcomed the visitors with all her heart.

1. the hollow muscular organ in vertebrates whose contractions propel the blood through the circulatory system. In mammals it consists of a right and left atrium and a right and left ventricle
2. the corresponding organ or part in invertebrates
3. this organ considered as the seat of life and emotions, esp love
4. emotional mood or disposition
5. tenderness or pity
6. courage or spirit; bravery
7. the inmost or most central part of a thing
8. the most important or vital part
9. (of vegetables such as cabbage) the inner compact part
10. the core of a tree
11. the part nearest the heart of a person; breast
12. a dearly loved person: usually used as a term of address
13. a conventionalized representation of the heart, having two rounded lobes at the top meeting in a point at the bottom
• a red heart-shaped symbol on a playing card
• a card with one or more of these symbols or (when pl.) the suit of cards so marked
15. a fertile condition in land, conducive to vigorous growth in crops or herbage (esp in the phrase in good heart)
16. appealing to one's own disposition, taste, or tendencies
17. in reality or fundamentally
18. to grieve or cause to grieve very deeply, esp through love
19. by committing to memory
20. I promise!
21. to brood or pine with grief or longing
22. very sincerely or deeply
23. be kind or merciful
24. to have enthusiasm for something
25. to be depressed or down-hearted
26. to be full of apprehension, excitement, or fear
27. have one's heart in the right place
• to be kind, thoughtful, or generous
• to mean well
28. to have the necessary will, callousness, etc (to do something)
29. absolutely; completely
30. the depths of one's conscience or emotions
31. a brave person
32. secretly; fundamentally
33. to become despondent or disillusioned (over something)
34. to fall in love with
35. cherished or important
36. to have as one's ambition to obtain; covet
37. to become encouraged
38. to take seriously or be upset about
39. as much as one wishes
40. to show one's feelings openly
41. very willingly

42. (of vegetables) to form a heart
43. an archaic word for hearten

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