heave
heave Lexical Profile
heave Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To lift, haul, or throw something heavy with great effort or force.
"They had to heave the waterlogged timber onto the back of the truck."
To rise and fall rhythmically or convulsively (especially of the chest or the sea).
"His chest continued to heave as he caught his breath after the steep climb."
To utter a deep, audible breath or sigh with effort or relief.
"The entire team could finally heave a sigh of relief once the project was approved."
To retch or make a convulsive effort to vomit.
"The foul odor from the spoiled food made his stomach heave."
• noun
An act of lifting, pulling, or throwing something with great effort.
"With one final heave, the crew pulled the heavy fishing net onto the deck."
A rhythmic rising and falling motion, or a spasmodic effort to vomit.
"The sudden heave of the ocean swell made several passengers reach for the handrail."
The horizontal displacement of a rock stratum or mineral vein along a geological fault, or the upward swelling of soil caused by frost.
"Engineers designed the roadbed to withstand winter frost heave in the northern climate."
Word Nuance & Usage
The regular past tense 'heaved' is standard in almost all modern contexts, whereas the older strong past tense 'hove' is now largely restricted to nautical expressions such as 'hove into view' or 'hove to'.
• Rhymes for heave
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'hebban' (to lift, raise, or exalt), of Proto-Germanic origin and ultimately related to the Indo-European root meaning 'to grasp' or 'to take' (cognate with Latin 'capere' and English 'heavy').