heat

Etymology 1

From Middle English hete, from Old English hǣtu, from Proto-West Germanic *haitī, from Proto-Germanic *haitį̄ (“heat”), from Proto-Indo-European *kayd-, a derived form of *kay- (“heat; hot”). Cognate with Scots hete (“heat”), North Frisian hiet (“heat”), Old High German heizī (“heat”). Related also to Dutch hitte (“heat”), German Hitze (“heat”), Swedish hetta (“heat”), Icelandic hiti (“heat”).

noun

1. (uncountable) Thermal energy.
   Heat and temperature, although different, are intimately related. … For example, suppose you added equal amounts of heat to equal masses of iron and aluminum. How do you think their temperatures would change?[…]if the temperature of the iron increased by 100 C°, the corresponding temperature change in the aluminum would be only 48 C°. 2007, James Shipman, Jerry Wilson, Aaron Todd, An Introduction to Physical Science: Twelfth Edition, pages 106–108
   Heat limits the length and intensity of ship-to-ship combat. Starships generate enormous s'heat' when they fire high-energy weapons, perform maneuvering burns, and run on-board combat electronics. In combat, warships produce heat more quickly than they can disperse it. As heat builds within a vessel, the crewed spaces become increasingly uncomfortable. Before the heat reaches lethal levels, a ship must win or retreat by entering FTL. After an FTL run, the ships halts, shuts down non-essential systems, and activates the heat radiation gear. 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Space Combat: Combat Endurance Codex entry
   Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4
   This furnace puts out 5000 BTUs of heat. That engine is really throwing off some heat. Removal of heat from the liquid caused it to turn into a solid.
2. (uncountable) The condition or quality of being hot.
   Stay out of the heat of the sun!
3. (uncountable) An attribute of a spice that causes a burning sensation in the mouth.
   The chili sauce gave the dish heat.
4. (uncountable) A period of intensity, particularly of emotion.
   It's easy to make bad decisions in the heat of the moment.
5. (uncountable) An undesirable amount of attention.
   The heat from her family after her DUI arrest was unbearable.
6. (countable, baseball) A fastball.
   The catcher called for the heat, high and tight.
7. (uncountable) A condition where a mammal is aroused sexually or where it is especially fertile and therefore eager to mate; oestrus.
   The male canines were attracted by the female in heat.
   1. (countable, fandom slang) In omegaverse fiction, a cyclical period in which omegas experience an intense, sometimes irresistible biological urge to mate.
      Some stories engage in dub-con scenarios where one or both partners are out of their minds with heat lust and lose all reasoning and inhibitions. 2013, Kristina Busse, “Pon Farr, Mpreg, Bonds, and the Rise of the Omegaverse”, in Anne Jamison, editor, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, page 321
      When Yuri goes into his first heat, it is not only an uncomfortable and traumatic physical experience, it is also an identity crisis: this is the moment realizes that he is an omega, and not a beta as he had previously assumed. 2017, Marianne Gunderson, "What is an omega? Rewriting sex and gender in omegaverse fanfiction", thesis submitted to the University of Oslo, page 40
      Hannibal's first kiss and his alpha saliva trigger Will's heat, […] 2018, Laura Campillo Arnaiz, “When the Omega Empath Met the Alpha Doctor: An Analysis of Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics in the Hannibal Fandom”, in Ashton Spacey, editor, The Darker Side of Slash Fan Fiction, page 127
8. (countable) A preliminary race, used to determine the participants in a final race
   The runner had high hopes, but was out of contention after the first heat.
9. (countable, by extension) A stage in a competition, not necessarily a sporting one; a round.
   The first heat of the Rotary Young Chef Competition went underway on Monday 16th December… 2019-12-20, Becca, lakedistricthotels.net
10. (countable) One cycle of bringing metal to maximum temperature and working it until it is too cool to work further.
    I can make a scroll like that in a single heat.
    The smiths themselves were a grand lot of fellows, full of a robust, and sometimes Rabelaisian sense of humour, and between "heats," they could be most entertaining. 1945 January and February, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—III”, in Railway Magazine, page 13
11. (countable) A hot spell.
    The children stayed indoors during this year's summer heat.
12. (uncountable) Heating system; a system that raises the temperature of a room or building.
    I'm freezing; could you turn on the heat?
13. (uncountable) The output of a heating system.
    During the power outage we had no heat because the controls are electric. Older folks like more heat than the young.
14. (countable) A violent action unintermitted; a single effort.
    …many pauses are required for refreshment betwixt the heats…. 1767, John Dryden, THE MISCELLANEOUS WORKS OF JOHN DRYDEN,Esq; Containing all his ORIGINAL POEMS, TITLES, AND TRANSLATIONS, IN FOUR VOLUMES.: VOLUME THE THIRD, page xxvii
15. (uncountable, slang) The police.
    The heat! Scram!
    What a field day for the heat / A thousand people in the street 1966 December, Stephen Stills, “For What It's Worth”performed by Buffalo Springfield
    If you’re black / You might as well not show up on the street / Unless you want to draw the heat 1976, Jacques Levy, Bob Dylan (lyrics and music), “Hurricane”, in Desire, performed by Bob Dylan
16. (uncountable, slang) One or more firearms.
    You carrying heat?" "You saw me unload the pistol," Hugo said. "It's in the waistband. And the kitchen knife. I need that for eating. 1983, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Lucifer's hammer, page 508
    Evidently, he wasn't carrying heat with him at the time." "Civilized place like Rome, why bother?" Granger observed. 2004, Tom Clancy, The Teeth of the Tiger, page 62
    Pogo Burns is not a guy who likes to be threatened with a rifle. Especially when it's for no good reason. You never show heat unless you plan to use it. 2005, John Sayles, Pride of the Bimbos, page 187
    "I should have brought some heat for you." "Heat?" "A burner, man, a gun." 2007, Brian Groh, Summer People, page 234
    Both were carrying heat, and I slipped their pieces into my pants pockets. 2008, James Swain, The Night Stalker, page 92
17. (uncountable, slang) Stylish and valuable sneakers.
    Woah, that guy is rocking some serious heat.
    Even the boy bands had heat. 26 September 2011, Nick Restivo, “Choreographed Kicks: A History of Boy Bands in Sneaker Heat”, in Complex, New York, N.Y.: Complex Networks, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-08-29
    The sneaker release calendar is unpredictable like the weather. Some kicks are pure heat, while others deserve to be left out in the cold. Sifting through the mass isn't easy. 2 July 2020, Fabian Gorsler, “This Week's Sneaker Weather Forecast Gets Hot & Sweaty”, in Highsnobiety, archived from the original on 2023-08-29
    So from a working standpoint, does everyone wear heat in the kitchen? I heard you and your chefs talking about it before the interview. 4 September 2021, Ross Dwyer, “Sole Mates: Chef James Kent and the Union x Air Jordan 1”, in Hypebeast, archived from the original on 2022-12-25
    February is always a great month for sneakers. Thanks to the NBA All-Star Game, all of the league's brightest stars use the platform as an opportunity to debut some new heat. 1 May 2023, Pat Benson, “The NBA's Top Ten Sneakers of February”, in Sports Illustrated, New York, N.Y.: Arena Group Holdings, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-08-29
18. (professional wrestling slang) To get a negative reaction from the audience, especially as a heel (or bad character).

Etymology 2

From Middle English heten, from Old English hǣtan (“to heat; become hot”), from Proto-Germanic *haitijaną (“to heat, make hot”).

verb

1. (transitive) To cause an increase in temperature of (an object or space); to cause to become hot (often with "up").
   I'll heat up the water.
2. (intransitive) To become hotter.
   There's a pot of soup heating on the stove.
3. (transitive, figurative) To excite or make hot by action or emotion; to make feverish.
4. (transitive, figurative) To excite ardour in; to rouse to action; to excite to excess; to inflame, as the passions.
5. (transitive, slang) To arouse, to excite (sexually).
   The massage heated her up.