Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - heat

(heats, heating, heated) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. When you heat something, you raise its temperature, for example by using a flame or a special piece of equipment. Meanwhile, heat the tomatoes and oil in a pan. ...heated swimming pools. VERB: V n, V-ed 2. Heat is warmth or the quality of being hot. The seas store heat and release it gradually during cold periods... N-UNCOUNT 3. The heat is very hot weather. As an asthmatic, he cannot cope with the heat and humidity... N-UNCOUNT 4. The heat of something is the temperature of something that is warm or that is being heated. Adjust the heat of the barbecue by opening and closing the air vents. N-UNCOUNT: with supp 5. You use heat to refer to a source of heat, for example a cooking ring or the heating system of a house. Immediately remove the pan from the heat... N-SING 6. You use heat to refer to a state of strong emotion, especially of anger or excitement. It was all done in the heat of the moment and I have certainly learned by my mistake... N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n 7. The heat of a particular activity is the point when there is the greatest activity or excitement. Last week, in the heat of the election campaign, the Prime Minister left for America. N-SING: the N of n 8. A heat is one of a series of races or competitions. The winners of a heat take part in another race or competition, against the winners of other heats. ...the heats of the men’s 100m breaststroke. N-COUNT see also dead heat 9. When a female animal is on heat in British English, or in heat in American English, she is in a state where she is ready to mate with a male animal, as this will probably result in her becoming pregnant. PHRASE: v-link PHR