heel
(hiːl )
Word forms: heels , heeling, heeled
1. countable noun B2
Your heel is the back part of your foot, just below your ankle.
2. countable noun B1+
The heel of a shoe is the raised part on the bottom at the back.
He kicked it shut with the heel of his boot.
...the shoes with the high heels.
3. plural noun
Heels are women's shoes that are raised very high at the back.
...two well-dressed ladies in high heels.
...the old adage that you shouldn't wear heels with trousers.
4. countable noun
The heel of a sock or stocking is the part that covers your heel.
5. countable noun
The heel of your hand is the rounded pad at the bottom of your palm.
6. See also Achilles heel
7. at sb's heels phrase
If a person or an animal is at your heels, they are following close behind you.
She strode off down the restaurant with Cavendish following close at her heels.
8. bring sb to heel phrase
If you bring someone to heel, you force them to obey you.
It's still not clear how the president will use his power to bring the republics to heel.
9. to click your heels phrase [VERB inflects]
If someone such as a soldier clicks their heels, they make a sound by knocking the heels of their shoes together when saluting or greeting someone.
10. to cool your heels phrase [VERB inflects]
If you are cooling your heels, someone is deliberately keeping you waiting, so that you get bored or impatient. [informal]
Cohen didn't mention that he had Ted Forstmann cooling his heels in a back room.
11. to dig one's heels in phrase
If you dig your heels in or dig in your heels, you refuse to do something such as change your opinions or plans, especially when someone is trying very hard to make you do so.
It was really the British who, by digging their heels in, prevented any last-minute deal.
12. hard on the heels of/hot on the heels of phrase
If you say that one event follows hard on the heels of another or hot on the heels of another, you mean that one happens very quickly or immediately after another.
Unfortunately, bad news has come hard on the heels of good.
The visit follows hot on the heels of their season at the Edinburgh International Festival.
13. hot on sb's heels phrase
If you say that someone is hot on your heels, you are emphasizing that they are chasing you and are not very far behind you. [emphasis]
They sped through the American southwest with the law hot on their heels.
14. kick one's heels phrase
If you are kicking your heels, you are having to wait around with nothing to do, so that you get bored or impatient. [British, informal]
The authorities wouldn't grant us permission to fly all the way down to San Francisco, so I had to kick my heels at Tunis Airport.
15. on one's heel phrase
If you turn on your heel or spin on your heel, you suddenly turn round, especially because you are angry or surprised.
He simply turned on his heel and walked away.
16. take to one's heels phrase [VERB inflects]
If you take to your heels, you run away. [literary]
He stood, for a moment, staring defiantly back at her, then took to his heels.
17. head over heels phrase
If you are head over heels or head over heels in love, you are very much in love.
I was very attracted to men and fell head over heels many times.
Synonyms: completely, thoroughly, utterly, intensely
18. to drag your heels phrase
If you drag your feet or drag your heels, you delay doing something or do it very slowly because you do not want to do it.
The government, he claimed, was dragging its feet.
Synonyms: stall, procrastinate, block, hold back
Phrasal verbs:
heel over
phrasal verb
When something heels over, it leans over very far as if it is about to fall over.
The little sailing-boat moved briskly along, heeling over under a nice breeze. [VERB PARTICLE]
Vocabulary Builder
FOOT big toe toe toenail sole heel ankle Idioms:
bring someone to heel or call someone to heel
to force or order someone to obey you
In practice it's still not clear how the president will use his power to bring the republics to heel.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Collocations:
heel height heel strap heel strike high heel pair of heels platform heels wear heels
Tribute sandals at the more commercial heel height of 11cm, as opposed to the 16cm catwalk version.
Times, Sunday Times
For around 100 more than off-theshelf, ie, 500-ish, you can customise the colour, material and heel height of a variety of styles.
Times, Sunday Times
They are purple suede, decorated with studs and have the perfect heel height for everyday wear.
Times, Sunday Times
It's also important to opt for a low differential between footbed and heel height.
Times,Sunday Times
Look at the tastefully clashing colours, look at the all-day-long heel height, look at the price.
Times, Sunday Times
This allowed the heel strap to be replaced by a less flexible leather strap.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
The heel strap started at the toe, looped around the heel, and forward again to the toe.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
The heel strap pulled the boot forward into the toe strap, so the ski would not fall off when pressure was released on the toe.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Some heel straps have a loop for better grip with wet hands or gloves.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
In addition to wrist straps, ankle and heel straps are used in industry to bleed away accumulated charge from a body.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Swing phase consists of the rest of the gait cycle, the time between the toe leaving the ground to the next heel strike.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
This can either occur by releasing the elastic load from an earlier mid/forefoot strike or concentrically contracting from a heel strike.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
This ratio allows for more natural running experience in which footfalls are in the mid to forefoot area instead of the unfavorable heel strike.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Barefoot running rarely features heel strike because the impact can be painful, the human heel pad not absorbing much of the force of impact.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Walking barefoot enables a more natural gait, eliminating the hard heel strike and instead, allowing for a rocking motion of the foot from heel to toe.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
The high heel folds inside the sole to make pedal control easier.
The Sun (2007)
And despite the super high heel, the platform sole makes them relatively easy to walk in.
The Sun (2007)
You can wear it around the pool, or belted and with a pair of heels for a meal on the sea front.
Times, Sunday Times
He sneaks into this contest off 8st 2lb and can show his rivals a clean pair of heels.
The Sun
Shown a clean pair of heels several times.
The Sun
Wear it with a great pair of heels and you're ready to go.
Times, Sunday Times
Perhaps she'll show me a clean pair of heels.
Times, Sunday Times
One night he was desperate to use the loo and tottered on his platform heels backstage to ask for directions.
Times, Sunday Times
There were whispered insults in some quarters about facelifts and platform heels.
Times, Sunday Times
Just add bold platform heels and statement jewellery or a glittery clutch to give your outfit a touch of disco fever.
The Sun
The ballroom star, 58, wore a blue cossie as she struck a balanced pose in her platform heels.
The Sun
They lark in novelty beach towels or wobble around on platform heels.
Times, Sunday Times
If you must wear heels, choose something with a blockier heel - the weight and masculine feel of the fabric look at odds with spindly heels.
Times, Sunday Times
I wear heels every day at home, rain or shine, but they never feel (or look) right on a beach holiday.
Times, Sunday Times
She describes her look as 'stuff to climb trees in', admitting that she can't wear heels for longer than an hour.
Times, Sunday Times
So if the pluses outweigh the minuses, we wear heels.
The Sun
It's sunny, you want to celebrate, but you can't be bothered to wear heels as you bounce around in the park.
Times, Sunday Times
Translations:
Chinese: 脚后跟
Japanese: かかと
- make your skin crawl
- make your toes curl
- making
- mal-
- maladjusted
- maladministration
- maladroit
- malady
- malaise
- malaria
- malarial
- malarial fever
- malarial mosquitoes
- malarial parasites
- malaria prevention
- Malay
- Malaysian
- malcontent
- male
- male character
- male chauvinism
- male chauvinist
- male-dominated
- male driver
- male ego