heel Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
  2. noun the back part of the human foot
  3. noun someone who is morally reprehensible
    bounder; dog; blackguard; hound; cad.
    • you dirty dog
  4. noun one of the crusty ends of a loaf of bread
  5. noun the lower end of a ship's mast
  6. noun (golf) the part of the clubhead where it joins the shaft
  7. verb tilt to one side
    list.
    • The balloon heeled over
    • the wind made the vessel heel
    • The ship listed to starboard
  8. verb follow at the heels of a person
  9. verb perform with the heels
    • heel that dance
  10. verb strike with the heel of the club
    • heel a golf ball
  11. verb put a new heel on
    reheel.
    • heel shoes

WordNet

Heel intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. helden to lean, incline, AS. heldan, hyldan; akin to Icel. halla, Dan. helde, Sw. hälla to tilt, pour, and perh. to E. hill.
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) To lean or tip to one side, as a ship; as, the ship heels aport; the boat heeled over when the squall struck it.
Heel noun
Etymology
OE. hele, heele, AS. hela, perh. for h&omac;hila, fr. AS. heh heel (cf. Hough); but cf. D. hiel, OFries. heila, hla, Icel. hæll, Dan. hæl, Sw. häl, and L. calx. Cf. Inculcate.
Definitions
  1. The hinder part of the foot; sometimes, the whole foot; -- in man or quadrupeds.
    He [the stag] calls to mind his strength and then his speed, His winged heels and then his armed head. Denham.
  2. The hinder part of any covering for the foot, as of a shoe, sock, etc.; specif., a solid part projecting downward from the hinder part of the sole of a boot or shoe.
  3. The latter or remaining part of anything; the closing or concluding part. "The heel of a hunt." A. Trollope. "The heel of the white loaf." Sir W. Scott.
  4. Anything regarded as like a human heel in shape; a protuberance; a knob.
  5. The part of a thing corresponding in position to the human heel; the lower part, or part on which a thing rests; especially: (a) (Naut.) The after end of a ship's keel. (b) (Naut.) The lower end of a mast, a boom, the bowsprit, the sternpost, etc. (c) (Mil.) In a small arm, the corner of the but which is upwards in the firing position. (d) (Mil.) The uppermost part of the blade of a sword, next to the hilt. (e) The part of any tool next the tang or handle; as, the heel of a scythe
  6. (Man.) Management by the heel, especially the spurred heel; as, the horse understands the heel well.
  7. (Arch.) (a) The lower end of a timber in a frame, as a post or rafter. In the United States, specif., the obtuse angle of the lower end of a rafter set sloping. (b) A cyma reversa; -- so called by workmen. Gwilt.
Heel transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Heeled ; present participle & verbal noun Heeling
Definitions
  1. To perform by the use of the heels, as in dancing, running, and the like. R.
    I cannot sing, Nor heel the high lavolt. Shak.
  2. To add a heel to; as, to heel a shoe.
  3. To arm with a gaff, as a cock for fighting.

Webster 1913