heel

Meanings

Noun

• The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg.
• The part of a shoe's sole which supports the foot's heel.
• The rear part of a sock or similar covering for the foot.
• The part of the palm of a hand closest to the wrist.
• A woman's high-heeled shoe.
• The back, upper part of the stock.
• The last or lowest part of anything.
• A crust end-piece of a loaf of bread.
• The base of a bun sliced in half lengthwise.
• A contemptible, unscrupulous, inconsiderate or thoughtless person.
• A headlining wrestler regarded as a "bad guy," whose ring persona embodies villainous or reprehensible traits and demonstrates characteristics of a braggart and a bully.
• The cards set aside for later use in a patience or solitaire game.
• Anything resembling a human heel in shape; a protuberance; a knob.
• The lower end of a timber in a frame, as a post or rafter.
• The obtuse angle of the lower end of a rafter set sloping.
• A cyma reversa.
• The short side of an angled cut.
• The part of a club head's face nearest the shaft.
• The lower end of the bit (cutting edge) of an axehead; as opposed to the toe (upper end).
• In a carding machine, the part of a flat nearest the cylinder.
• The act of inclining or canting from a vertical position; a cant.

Verb

• To follow at somebody's heels; to chase closely.
• To add a heel to, or increase the size of the heel of (a shoe or boot).
• To kick with the heel.
• To perform by the use of the heels, as in dancing, running, etc.
• To arm with a gaff, as a cock for fighting.
• To hit (the ball) with the heel of the club.
• To make (a fair catch) standing with one foot forward, the heel on the ground and the toe up.
• To incline to one side; to tilt.
• Alternative of hele.

Related

Similar words

• ender, outsider
• heeling

Opposite words

• babyface
• toe

Origin

• From Middle English hele, from Old English hēla, from Proto-Germanic *hanhilaz (compare North Frisian hael, Dutch hiel, Danish and Norwegian hæl, Swedish häl), diminutive of Proto-Germanic *hanhaz ("heel"), equivalent to hock + -le. More at hock.
• Probably inferred from the past tense of hield, from Middle English heelden, from Old English hyldan, hieldan, cognate with Old Norse hella ("to pour out") (whence Danish hælde).
• See hele.