heel

(hēl)
n.

1. 1. The rounded posterior portion of the human foot under and behind the ankle.
   2. The corresponding part of the hind foot of other vertebrates.
   3. A similar anatomical part, such as the fleshy rounded base of the human palm or the hind toe of a bird.
2. 1. The part, as of a sock, shoe, or stocking, that covers the rounded posterior portion of the human foot.
   2. The built-up portion of a shoe or boot, supporting the heel.
3. One of the crusty ends of a loaf of bread.
4. The lower or rearward part, as:
   1. The part of the head of a golf club where it joins the shaft.
   2. The end of a violin bow where the handle is located.
5. Nautical.
   1. The lower end of a mast.
   2. The after end of a ship's keel.
6. Botany. The basal end of a plant cutting or tuber used in propagation.
7. Oppression; tyranny: under the heel of Stalinism; the heel of an autocrat.
8. Informal. A dishonorable man; a cad.

v., heeled, heel·ing, heels.

v.tr.

1. 1. To furnish with a heel or heels.
   2. To repair or replace the heels, as for shoes.
2. Slang. To furnish, especially with money.
3. To arm (a gamecock) with gaffs.
4. To press or strike with the heel: heel a horse.

v.intr.
To follow at one's heels: The dog won't heel.

idioms:

down at the heels

1. Having one's shoe heels worn down.
2. Shabby; rundown; poor.

lay by the heels

1. To put in fetters or shackles; imprison.

on (or upon) the heels of

1. Directly behind.
2. Immediately following.

out at the heel (or heels)

1. Having holes in one's socks or shoes.
2. Rundown; shabby; seedy.

take to (one's) heels

1. To run away; flee.

to heel

1. Close behind: The hound followed his master to heel.
2. Under discipline or control: The army swiftly brought the rebels to heel.

[Middle English, from Old English hēla.]

heel² (hēl)
intr. & tr.v., heeled, heel·ing, heels.
To tilt or cause to tilt to one side.

n.
A tilt, as of a boat, to one side.

[Alteration of Middle English helden, from Old English hieldan.]

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verb

To follow closely or persistently: dog, tag, trail. See precede/follow.

heel²

verb

To depart or cause to depart from true vertical or horizontal: cant¹, incline, lean¹, list², rake², slant, slope, tilt, tip². See straight/bent.

noun

Deviation from a particular direction: cant¹, grade, gradient, inclination, incline, lean¹, list², rake², slant, slope, tilt, tip². See rise/fall, straight/bent.

v. 1. (of a boat or ship) be tilted temporarily by the pressure of wind or by an uneven distribution of weight on board. Compare with list.

2. cause (a boat or ship) to lean over in such a way.

n.

1. an instance of a ship leaning over in such a way.

2. the degree of incline of a ship's leaning measured from the vertical.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

1. The lower end of an upright timber, esp. one resting on a support.
2. The lower end of the hanging stile of a door.
3. The floor brace for timbers that brace a wall.
4. The trailing edge of the blade of a bulldozer, or the like.

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Part of the foot formed by the heel-bone (see calcaneus), which extends behind the ankle joint.

IN BRIEF: n. - Hind parts of the foot; Loathsome individuals. v. - Follows closely.

Poverty treads on the heels of great and unexpected riches.

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The heel is often used synonymously for the foot as a symbol, for example, to represent violence or oppression (e.g., under the heel of a dictator). As the part of the body most often in contact with the ground and dirt, it can be a symbol of the base or ignoble, for instance, a low, vile, contemptible, despicable person (a heel). The heel is also often represented by the analogous part of a shoe, which is frequently in shabby condition (down at the heels), perhaps signifying something in the dreamer's life that needs attention. Finally, the heel can also represent vulnerability, as in an Achilles' heel.

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adjective
adjective

1: Equipped; armed, esp. with a revolver. (1866 —) .
E. Mcbain 'Were you heeled when they pulled you in?'...'We didn't even have a water pistol between us' (1956).

2: Provided with money; now usu. preceded by well. (1880 —) .
Daily Telegraph Though the million and a quarter left by his grandfather has been spread among a large family he is still well-heeled enough (1968).

[From obs. US slang heel verb, to provide, arm.]

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1. (rare) in cats and dogs, the hock joint or tarsus.
2. in ungulates, the place at the rear of the hoof or claw where horn and skin meet and where the wall of the hoof turns horizontally to become the sole.

• h. abscess — one of the forms taken by foot abscess in sheep. There is pain and swelling at the affected heel, and separation and discharge of pus occurs at the skin–horn junction. The abscess is caused by infection with Fusobacterium necrophorum and Arcanobacterium pyogenes, the infection resulting from an extension of the infection from an interdigital dermatitis.
• h. bug — see trombicula autumnalis.
• h. bulb necrosis — see infectious bulbar necrosis.
• contracted h. — the heels of the affected hoof are closer together than normal, the frog is narrow and shrunken and the bars form a narrower angle than in the normal hoof. The horse is usually lame on the leg.
• h. easing — trimming the foot so that the heels can spread more.
• h. effect — unequal distribution of the x-ray beam intensity emitted from the x-ray tube. Due to angulation of the target, the distribution of the beam intensity decreases rapidly towards the anode due to absorption of the x-ray beam by the target and anode material.
• h. fly — see hypoderma.
• sheared h. — vertical separation occurs between the heels of a horse's hoof causing lameness. A chronic condition due usually to overuse of one heel because of a conformational imbalance.

For a list of words related to heel, see:

• Limbs and Extremities - heel: rear portion of foot below ankle
• Seamanship and Port - heel: (vb) list to one side
• Parts of Shoes and Accessories - heel: rigid attachment to sole beneath rear of foot
• Golf
• Morality or Character

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See words rhyming with "heel."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Heel.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - hæl
v. tr. - bagflikke
v. intr. - sætte nye hæle på

idioms:

• be (hot) on someone's heels    følge (lige) i hælene på en
• bring to heel    få nogen til at makke ret
• call to heel    få nogen til at makke ret
• hard on the heels of    lige i hælene på
• take to one's heels    tage benene på nakken, stikke af

2.
v. intr. - krænge, hælde
v. tr. - få til at krænge
n. - slagside, krængningsvinkel

idioms:

• heel over    krænge over, hælde

3.
v. tr. - indslå planter

Nederlands (Dutch)
hiel, hak, spronggewricht, uiteinde, ontvluchting, schurk, overhelling (schip), slagzij maken, doen overhellen, dansen, ontsnappen, hielen breien, hakken, op de hielen zitten, tijdelijk planten, voorzien van geld/vuurwapen(s), vleien, jachtvogel van sporen voorzien rechtsomkeert maken

Français (French)
1.
n. - (Anat) talon, talon (d'une chaussure), talon (de la main)
v. tr. - refaire un talon à, (Sport) talonner (une balle)
v. intr. - gîter, pencher

idioms:

• at heel    sur les talons
• be hot on someone's heels    talonner qn
• be on someone's heels    talonner qn
• bring to heel    rappeler (un chien), (fig) mater, mettre (qn) au pas
• call to heel    forcer (qn) à obéir
• hard on the heels of    talonner qn, suivre de près (qch)
• out at the heel    handicap
• take to one's heels    prendre ses jambes à son cou (hum), s'enfuir

2.
v. intr. - (Naut) gîter
v. tr. - pencher (un objet)
n. - inclinaison (d'un bateau, etc)

idioms:

• heel over    gîter, pencher

3.
v. tr. - (Hort) mettre (qch) en jauge

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Ferse, Absatz, Ende
v. - mit einem Absatz versehen, auf den Fersen folgen

idioms:

• at heel    bei Fuß
• be hot on someone's heels    auf den Fersen sitzen
• be on someone's heels    dicht hinter jmdm. sein
• bring to heel    unter Kontrolle bringen
• call to heel    bei Fuß rufen, gefügig machen, zum Gehorsam zwingen
• hard on the heels of    dicht hinter jmdm.
• out at the heel    schäbig, verwahrlost
• take to one's heels    Fersengeld geben

2.
v. - krängen, zum Krängen bringen, sich auf die Seite legen
n. - Krängung

idioms:

• heel over    sich überlehnen

3.
v. - etwas einpflanzen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ανατ., μτφ.) φτέρνα, (ενδυμ.) τακούνι, κάθαρμα, τομάρι
v. - τοποθετώ (νέο) τακούνι

idioms:

• be (hot) on someone's heels    ακολουθώ ακριβώς από πίσω, κατά πόδας
• bring to heel    υποχρεώνω κάποιον να συμμορφωθεί
• call to heel    υποχρεώνω κάποιον να συμμορφωθεί
• hard on the heels of    στο κατόπι του, καταπόδι του
• heel over    (ναυτ.) μπατάρω
• high heels    ψηλά τακούνια
• take to one's heels    το βάζω στα πόδια

Italiano (Italian)
sbandare, tallone, tacco

idioms:

• be (hot) on someone's heels    essere alle calcagna di, incalzare
• be at one's heels    tallonare
• bring to heel    costringere ad obbedire
• call to heel    chiamare all'ordine
• click one's heels    battere i tacchi
• dig one's heels in    puntare i piedi, rifiutare di fare qualcosa
• hard on the heels of    incalzare
• heel over    capovolgersi
• kick one's heels    aspettare a lungo e/o impazientemente
• spin on one's heel    voltare le spalle, girare i tacchi
• take to one's heels    darsela a gambe
• turn on one's heel    fare dietro front

Português (Portuguese)
n. - calcanhar (m) (Anat.), salto (m) do sapato, inclinação (f) do navio (Náut.)
v. - colocar salto em sapatos, acompanhar nos calcanhares (cachorros), adernar (Náut.)

idioms:

• be (hot) on someone's heels    estar perto em uma perseguição
• bring/call to heel    trazer/chamar a acompanhar (cachorros)
• click one's heels    bater os calcanhares
• dig one's heels in    firmar os pés em
• hard on the heels of    apertando na perseguição
• heel over    inclinar-se
• kick/cool one's heels    esperar muito tempo
• spin/turn on one's heel    dar a volta/mudar de direção de repente
• take to one's heels    fugir
• turn on one's heel    mudar de direção abruptamente

Русский (Russian)
пятка, каблук, ставить каблук, крен, притоптывать, следовать по пятам, кренить, крениться, подлец

idioms:

• be (hot) on someone's heels    гнаться за кем-то по пятам
• bring/call to heel    заставить подчиниться
• click one's heels    расшаркиваться, щелкать каблуками
• dig one's heels in    укрепить свое положение
• hard on the heels of    идти по следу, идти по пятам
• heel over    кувырком
• kick/cool one's heels    зря дожидаться
• spin/turn on one's heel    круто повернуться
• take to one's heels    удрать
• turn on one's heel    бесцеремонно повернуться к кому-то спиной

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - talón, taco, tacón, pico del pan
v. tr. - poner tacos, bailar con los talones, seguir de cerca
v. intr. - seguir de cerca al amo, taconear

idioms:

• at heel    a muy corta distancia
• be hot on someone's heels    seguir muy de cerca, pisar los talones de uno
• be on someone's heels    estar encima de uno, pisar los talones de uno
• bring to heel    controlar a alguien, encarrilar, someter a alguien, meter a alguien en cintura o en vereda
• call to heel    obligar a alguien a obedecer
• hard on the heels of    inmediatamente después
• out at the heel    tener una apariencia desaliñada
• take to one's heels    poner pies en polvorosa

2.
v. intr. - escorar
v. tr. - provocar que se incline
n. - movimiento de inclinación

idioms:

• heel over    ladearse, escorar

3.
v. tr. - persona irresponsable y sin honor, plantar una planta en la tierra

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - häl, klack, sista bit, (mast)fot, (köl)häl (sjö), kräk (bildl.), lärling, volontär
v. - krängning

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 脚后跟, 踵, 踵状物, 后跟, 底部, 给装后跟, 紧追, 紧跟, 用脚跟往回传, 在后紧随, 用脚后跟跳舞

idioms:

• be (hot) on someone's heels    紧跟在某人之后
• bring to heel    使某人顺从, 唤狗跟着
• call to heel    唤狗跟着
• hard on the heels of    紧跟在某人之后
• heel over    倾侧
• take to one's heels    逃走

2. 倾斜, 使倾斜, 侧倾, 倾侧度

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. intr. - 傾斜
v. tr. - 使傾斜
n. - 側傾, 傾側度

2.
n. - 腳後跟, 踵, 踵狀物, 後跟, 底部
v. tr. - 給裝後跟, 緊追, 緊跟, 用腳跟往回傳
v. intr. - 在後緊隨, 用腳後跟跳舞, 緊追

idioms:

• be (hot) on someone's heels    緊跟在某人之後
• bring to heel    使某人順從, 喚狗跟著
• call to heel    喚狗跟著
• hard on the heels of    緊跟在某人之後
• heel over    傾側
• take to one's heels    逃走

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 발 뒤꿈치, 말미, 발 전체
v. tr. - 뒤축을 대다, ~의 바로 뒤에서 따라가다, ~을 힐로 차다
v. intr. - 따라오다, 뒤축으로 춤추다

idioms:

• be (hot) on someone's heels    남을 맹렬하게 뒤쫓고 있다
• bring to heel    뒤따라 오게 하다
• call to heel    강제로 복종하게 하다
• take to one's heels    달아나다, 줄행랑 치다

2.
v. intr. - (배가) 기울어지다
v. tr. - (배를) 한쪽으로 기울이다
n. - (배의) 경사, 기울기

idioms:

• heel over    (배를) 한쪽으로 기울이다

3.
v. tr. - 심고 뿌리들로 뒤덮다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - かかと, ヒール, 卑劣な男, かかと状のもの, 末端, 後ろ足, 終わり, 卑劣漢
v. - …にかかとを付ける, すぐ後について行く, かかとでけり出す, 傾く

idioms:

• be (hot) on someone's heels    追い払って
• bring/call to heel    従わせる
• down at heel    かかとが減って, みすぼらしい
• heel over    傾く
• kick/cool one's heels    待たせる
• spin/turn on one's heel    きびすを返す
• take to one's heels    一目散に逃げ出す

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) العقب, عقب القدم أو حافه الرغيف أو قالب الجبن أو كعب الحذاء أو مؤخر المركب, شخص حقير, ميلان أو جنوح (فعل) يجعل له عقبا, يدوس, أو يضرب بكعب الحذاء, يميل أو يجنح, يجري في أعقاب شخص, يعدو أو يفر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עקב, אדם שפל ונבזה, קרום של לחם או גבינה קשה, חלק כף-היד הקרוב לפרק-היד, קצה קשת הכינור המוחזק ביד‬
v. tr. - ‮התקין עקב על (נעל), צעד בעיקבות‬
v. intr. - ‮נגע ברצפה בעקבו (בריקוד)‬
v. intr. - ‮נטתה על צדה בשל הרוח העזה (אוניה)‬
v. tr. - ‮גרמה לאוניה לנטות על צדה (רוח), אדם שפל‬
n. - ‮מידת הנטייה‬
v. tr. - ‮שתל‬

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