<B>heaven, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>(in Christian and some other religious use) the place where God and the angels live and where the blessed go after death. <DD><B> b. </B>any one of various other celestial realms. <BR> <I>Ex. the seven heavens of the Talmud or of the Koran.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a place or condition of greatest happiness. <BR> <I>Ex. a heaven on earth (Milton).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(in Christian Science) the atmosphere of Soul. <BR><I>expr. <B>for heaven's sake!</B> or <B>good heavens! </B>an exclamation of surprise, protest, or demand. </I> <I>Ex. Hold on, for heaven's sake! Good heavens! What a place to stop at!</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>heaven knows,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>who knows. </I> <I>Ex. It was skunk, rotten eggs, sulphur, and heaven knows what else, all rolled into one (New Yorker).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>certainly. <BR> <I>Ex. Heaven knows I should be used to it by now (Maclean's).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>heavens</B> or <B>Heavens,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>the upper air in which clouds float, winds blow, and birds fly and in which the sun, moon, and stars seem to be set; sky. </I> <I>Ex. Millions of stars were shining in the heavens. The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalms 19:1).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a particular kind or region of sky, as of clearness, cloudiness, or climate. <DD><B> c. </B>heavenly beings; God and His angels as ruling over mankind. <BR> <I>Ex. Heavens keep him from these beasts (Shakespeare).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>in heaven's name! </B><B>=for heaven's sake.</B> <BR>expr. <B>move heaven and earth,</B> </I>to do everything possible. <BR> <I>Ex. The mayor should be moving heaven and earth to enact this income tax immediately (New York Times).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>to high heaven,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>very highly; to the skies. </I> <I>Ex. ... praising the Chinese Communist Party to high heaven (Harper's).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>too much; inordinately. <BR> <I>Ex. The air ... stinks to high heaven (J. D. Salinger).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="heaven">
<B>Heaven, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> God; Providence. <BR> <I>Ex. It was the will of Heaven. Heaven will protect the Working Girl (Edgar Smith).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="heavenly">
<B>heavenly, </B>adjective, <B>-lier,</B> <B>-liest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or in heaven; divine. <BR> <I>Ex. God is our heavenly Father. ... from heavenly harmony This universal frame began (John Dryden).</I> (SYN) celestial, holy. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) like heaven; suitable for heaven; very happy, beautiful, or excellent. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavenly spot, heavenly peace.</I> (SYN) blissful. <DD><B> 3. </B>of or in the heavens; in the sky or upper air. <BR> <I>Ex. The sun, moon, stars, planets, and comets are heavenly bodies.</I> noun <B>heavenliness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="heavenofheavens">
<B>heaven of heavens,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (in Biblical use) the highest heaven; the abode of God. <BR> <I>Ex. Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God (Deuteronomy 10:14).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="heavens">
<B>heavens, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>heaven.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="heavensent">
<B>heaven-sent, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> very welcome or timely, as if sent from heaven; godsent. <BR> <I>Ex. We were ... extremely short of coal miners, and this sudden influx of fit, mostly unattached young men in search of employment seemed heaven-sent (Elspeth Huxley).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="heavenward">
<B>heavenward, </B>adverb, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> toward heaven. <BR> <I>Ex. The rocket soared heavenward (adv.). She cast a heavenward glance (adj.).</I> </DL>
<B>heave offering,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (in the Jewish priestly law) an offering which was lifted up (heaved) by the priest when presented, and which became the portion of the priests and their families. </DL>
<A NAME="heaver">
<B>heaver, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that heaves. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Nautical.) a bar or staff used for twisting or tightening a rope or strap. </DL>
<A NAME="heaves">
<B>heaves, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a disease of horses, characterized by difficult breathing, coughing, and heaving of the flanks; broken wind; emphysema. <BR> <I>Ex. Heaves may be an allergic condition that results in faulty action of the air cells (Raymond R. Birch).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="heavierthanair">
<B>heavier-than-air, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(of an aircraft) having greater weight than the air it displaces. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with aircraft of such weight. </DL>
<A NAME="heavisidelayer">
<B>Heaviside layer,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the layer of the ionosphere that reflects low-frequency radio waves such as those produced in short-wave broadcasting; Kennelly-Heaviside layer; E layer. </DL>
<A NAME="heavy">
<B>heavy</B> (1), adjective, <B>heavier,</B> <B>heaviest,</B> adverb, noun, pl. <B>heavies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>hard to lift or carry; having much weight. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavy load.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having much weight for its size; of high specific gravity. <BR> <I>Ex. Iron is heavy and feathers are light. Osmium is the heaviest metal.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>of more than usual weight for its kind. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy silk, heavy bread, a heavy quality of webbing.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>greater than usual; of great amount, force, or intensity; large. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavy rain, a heavy crop, a heavy meal, a heavy vote, a heavy sea, a heavy sleep, a sweet, heavy odor, a heavy frost, a heavy fog, a heavy silence.</I> (SYN) abundant. <DD><B> 5. </B>doing or being such in an unusual degree. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavy buyer, a heavy smoker.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>(Figurative.) hard to bear or endure; harsh; oppressive. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy taxes. Her troubles became heavier and heavier.</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>(Figurative.) hard to deal with or manage; trying or difficult in any way; laborious. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavy task or undertaking. A heavy road is muddy and sandy, so that a load is hard to draw. A heavy slope is a steep one. Heavy food is hard to digest. Heavy soil is hard to work. He could hear the heavy uneven breathing of the child (Graham Greene).</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>weighted down; laden. <BR> <I>Ex. air heavy with moisture, eyes heavy with sleep.</I> <DD><B> 9. </B>(Figurative.) <DD><B> a. </B>sorrowful; sad. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavy countenance. His heavy heart was full of sorrow.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>causing sorrow; distressing; gloomy. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy news.</I> <DD><B> 10. </B>(Figurative.) grave; serious; sober; somber. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavy part in a play, heavy business. Trust him not in matter of heavy consequence (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><B> 11. </B>cloudy; overcast; lowering. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavy sky.</I> <DD><B> 12. </B>broad; thick; coarse. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavy line, heavy features, a heavy scar.</I> <DD><B> 13. </B>clumsy; sluggish; slow. <BR> <I>Ex. a heavy walk.</I> (SYN) lumbering. <DD><B> 14. </B>uninteresting; dull; ponderous. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy reading.</I> <DD><B> 15. </B>loud and deep. <BR> <I>Ex. the heavy roar of cannon.</I> <DD><B> 16. </B>(Military.) <DD><B> a. </B>heavily armed or equipped. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy tanks.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>of large size. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy artillery.</I> <DD><B> 17. </B>not risen enough. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy bread.</I> <DD><B> 18. </B>(Chemistry.) <DD><B> a. </B>indicating an isotope possessing a greater atomic weight than another of the same element. <BR> <I>Ex. Heavy hydrogen.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>indicating a compound containing such an isotope. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy water.</I> <DD><B> 19. </B>having much body. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy liquor.</I> <DD><B> 20. </B>pregnant. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy with child.</I> <DD><I>adv. </I> in a heavy manner; heavily. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a heavy person or thing. <DD><B> 2. </B>a heavy animal, such as a hog, especially when ready to be slaughtered and sold to a butcher. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Informal.) <DD><B> a. </B>the villain's part in a play. <DD><B> b. </B>an actor who plays such parts. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Military.) a gun of large size, weight, or caliber. <DD><B> 5. </B>a heavy tank. <BR> <I>Ex. Lighter tanks likely will remain a part of the Army's arsenal, and doing away with the "heavies" will take time (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>(Especially British Informal.) <B>=heavyweight </B>(def. 2). <DD><B> 7. </B>(Slang.) a burglar or armed robber. <BR> <I>Ex. The "heavy," ... classes himself with other criminals and tries to be a "right guy" in prison (Science News Letter).</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>(Slang.) a very large wave. <BR><I>expr. <B>hang heavy,</B> </I>to pass slowly and uninterestingly. <BR> <I>Ex. Time hung heavy on his hands.</I> adv. <B>heavily.</B> noun <B>heaviness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="heavy">
<B>heavy</B> (2), adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (of a horse) suffering from heaves. </DL>
<A NAME="heavychain">
<B>heavy chain,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of the pair of very long polypeptide chains in an antibody molecule. Each such molecule contains two heavy chains and two light chains. <BR> <I>Ex. Patients suffering from ... "heavy chain disease" produce large quantities of mutant heavy chains much shorter than normal, with a major chunk missing from the middle (New Scientist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="heavycream">
<B>heavy cream,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> cream having 30 per cent or more butterfat, and therefore capable of being whipped. </DL>
<A NAME="heavyduty">
<B>heavy-duty, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>durably built to withstand hard use, strain, or exposure. <BR> <I>Ex. heavy-duty tires. ... heavy-duty corrugated boxes are sealed with a fiber-reinforced paper tape (Newsweek).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>highly taxed by a tariff. </DL>
