heap Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a collection of objects laid on top of each other
    agglomerate; cumulus; pile; mound; cumulation.
  2. noun (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent
    plenty; great deal; pot; sight; flock; mint; slew; mountain; deal; wad; muckle; pile; lot; mickle; raft; quite a little; passel; hatful; mess; spate; peck; stack; good deal; batch; tidy sum; mass.
    • a batch of letters
    • a deal of trouble
    • a lot of money
    • he made a mint on the stock market
    • see the rest of the winners in our huge passel of photos
    • it must have cost plenty
    • a slew of journalists
    • a wad of money
  3. noun a car that is old and unreliable
    bus; jalopy.
    • the fenders had fallen off that old bus
  4. verb bestow in large quantities
    • He heaped him with work
    • She heaped scorn upon him
  5. verb arrange in stacks
    pile; stack.
    • heap firewood around the fireplace
    • stack your books up on the shelves
  6. verb fill to overflow
    • heap the platter with potatoes

WordNet

Heap noun
Etymology
OE. heep, heap, heap, multitude, AS. heáp; akin to OS. hp, D. hoop, OHG. houf, hfo, G. haufe, haufen, Sw. hop, Dan. hob., Icel. hpr troop, flock, Russ. kupa heap, crowd, Lith. kaupas. Cf. Hope, in Forlorn hope.
Definitions
  1. A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of persons. Now Low or Humorous
    The wisdom of a heap of learned men. Chaucer.
    A heap of vassals and slaves. Bacon.
    He had heaps of friends. W.Black.
  2. A great number or large quantity of things not placed in a pile. Now Low or Humorous
    A vast heap, both of places of scripture and quotations. Bp. Burnet.
    I have noticed a heap of things in my life. R. L. Stevenson.
  3. A pile or mass; a collection of things laid in a body, or thrown together so as to form an elevation; as, a heap of earth or stones.
    Huge heaps of slain around the body rise. Dryden.
    (Computer programming) The main segment of memory available for dynamic assignment
Heap transitive verb
Etymology
AS. heápian.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Heaped ; present participle & verbal noun Heaping
Definitions
  1. To collect in great quantity; to amass; to lay up; to accumulate; -- usually with up; as, to heap up treasures.
    Though he heap up silver as the dust. Job. xxvii. 16.
  2. To throw or lay in a heap; to make a heap of; to pile; as, to heap stones; -- often with up; as, to heap up earth; or with on; as, to heap on wood or coal.
  3. To form or round into a heap, as in measuring; to fill (a measure) more than even full.

Webster 1913