Definition of: heart

(härt) noun
1. The central organ of the vascular system of animals; a hollow muscular structure which maintains the circulation of the blood by alternate contraction (systole) and dilatation (diastole). ♦ Collateral adjective: cardiac.
2. The breast regarded as the seat of the heart.
3. The seat of the affections and emotions, as distinguished from the head as the center of intellect and will.
4. One's inmost thoughts or feelings: to pour out one's heart.
5. Affection; love: to win one's heart.
6. Tenderness; capacity for sympathy: to have no heart.
7. Courage; resolution; firmness of will: The men lost heart.
8. Ardor; enthusiasm; energy: He put his whole heart into the task.
9. Mood; spirit: a heavy heart.
10. A person, especially a dear or courageous one: a brave heart.
11. The central part of anything; the core: the heart of the city.
12. The inner part or core of a tree, plant, vegetable, etc.
13. The vital or essential part; the essence: the heart of the matter.
14. Anything represented as or shaped like a heart; especially the conventional roundish figure with a point opposite two lobes.
15. A playing card bearing red, heart-shaped spots or pips.
16. plural The suit of such playing cards.
17. plural A game of cards played with a full pack, in which the object is to take no hearts.
—after one's own heart Suiting one perfectly; conforming to one's ideas; to one's taste: a man after one's own heart.
—at heart At the center or bottom; essentially; substantially; in fact.
—athletic heart Enlargement of the heart induced by excessive participation in athletic sports.
—by heart By rote, so as to be memorized perfectly: said of recitations.
—from one's heart With all sincerity.
—to have at heart To cherish; be concerned for earnestly.
—to have one's heart in one's mouth To be excessively excited or frightened.
—to have the heart To be callous or cruel enough.
—to take to heart To consider seriously.
—to wear one's heart on one's sleeve To show one's feelings plainly.
—with all one's heart Intensely; thoroughly; completely; wholly.
—v.t. Rare
1. To hearten.
2. To place in the heart.
—v.i.
3. To form a heart. ♦ Homophone: hart. [OE heorte]
Heart may appear as a combining form (in hyphemes or solidemes) or as the first element in two-word phrases; as in: