heel : Idioms & Phrases

Index

achilles' heel

  • noun a seemingly small but actual mortal weakness
WordNet

cool one's heels

  • verb wait or pass the time aimlessly or futilely; be kept waiting
    cool one's heels.
    • She kicked her heels for hours at the gate of the Embassy
WordNet

cuban heel

  • noun a broad heel of medium height on women's shoes
WordNet

drag one's heels

  • verb postpone doing what one should be doing
    dillydally; dilly-dally; procrastinate; stall; shillyshally; drag one's feet.
    • He did not want to write the letter and procrastinated for days
WordNet

feather-heeled

Feath"er-heeled` adjective
Definitions
  1. Light-heeled; gay; frisky; frolicsome. Colloq.
Webster 1913

french heel

  • noun a fairly high narrow heel on women's shoes
WordNet

head over heels

  • adverb in disorderly haste
    head over heels; topsy-turvily; topsy-turvy; in great confusion.
    • we ran head over heels toward the shelter
WordNet

Heel chain

  • (Naut.), a chain passing from the bowsprit cap around the heel of the jib boom.
Webster 1913

heel counter

  • noun a piece of leather forming the back of a shoe or boot
    counter.
    • a counter may be used to stiffen the material around the heel and to give support to the foot
WordNet

Heel of a rafter

  • . (Arch.) See Heel, n., 7.
Webster 1913

Heel plate

  • the butt plate of a gun.
Webster 1913

Heel ring

  • a ring for fastening a scythe blade to the snath.
Webster 1913

Heeling error

  • (Naut.), a deviation of the compass caused by the heeling of an iron vessel to one side or the other.
Webster 1913

heels over head

  • adverb in disorderly haste
    head over heels; topsy-turvily; topsy-turvy; in great confusion.
    • we ran head over heels toward the shelter
WordNet

iron heel

  • noun an instrument of torture that is used to heat or crush the foot and leg
    the boot; iron boot; boot.
WordNet

kick one's heels

  • verb wait or pass the time aimlessly or futilely; be kept waiting
    cool one's heels.
    • She kicked her heels for hours at the gate of the Embassy
WordNet

lark's-heel

Lark's"-heel` noun
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) Indian cress.
Webster 1913

light-heeled

Light"-heeled` adjective
Definitions
  1. Lively in walking or running; brisk; light-footed.
Webster 1913

Neck and heels

  • the whole body. (Colloq.)
Webster 1913

Parliament heel

  • the inclination of a ship when made to careen by shifting her cargo or ballast.
Webster 1913

spike heel

  • noun a very high narrow heel on women's shoes
    spike heel; spike.
WordNet

stacked heel

  • noun a heel made of many layers of leather
WordNet

stiletto heel

  • noun a very high narrow heel on women's shoes
    spike heel; spike.
WordNet

tar heel state

  • noun a state in southeastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies
    Old North State; NC; North Carolina.
WordNet

To be at the heels of

  • to pursue closely; to follow hard: as, hungry want is at my heels. Otway.
Webster 1913

To be down at the heel

  • to be slovenly or in a poor plight.
Webster 1913

To be out at the heels

  • to have on stockings that are worn out; hence, to be shabby, or in a poor plight. Shak.
Webster 1913

To cool the heels

  • to dance attendance; to wait, as for admission to a patron's house. Colloq.
Webster 1913

to dig in one's heels

  • .
Webster 1913

To go heels over head

  • to turn over so as to bring the heels uppermost; hence, to move in a inconsiderate, or rash, manner.
Webster 1913

To have the heels of

  • to outrun.
Webster 1913

To lay by the heels

  • to fetter; to shackle; to imprison. Shak. Addison.
  • to put in the stocks. Shak.
Webster 1913

To lift up the heel against

  • to treat with insolence or unkindness. John xiii.18.
Webster 1913

To show the heels

  • to flee; to run from.
Webster 1913

To take to the heels

  • to flee; to betake to flight.
Webster 1913

To throw up another's heels

  • to trip him. Bunyan.
Webster 1913

To tread upon one's heels

  • to follow closely. Shak.
Webster 1913

To tread upon the heels of

  • to follow close upon. "Dreadful consequences that tread upon the heels of those allowances to sin." Milton.
Webster 1913

wedge heel

  • noun a heel that is an extension of the sole of the shoe
    wedge.
WordNet

well-heeled

  • adjective satellite in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich
    well-to-do; prosperous; well-off; comfortable; well-fixed; well-situated; easy.
    • they were comfortable or even wealthy by some standards
    • easy living
    • a prosperous family
    • his family is well-situated financially
    • well-to-do members of the community
WordNet

wineglass heel

  • noun a heel on a woman's shoe in the shape of a wineglass
WordNet

wire-heel

Wire"-heel` noun
Definitions
  1. (Far.) A disease in the feet of a horse or other beast.
Webster 1913