heighint.n.
/heɪ/, U.S. /haɪ/, /heɪ/ A. int.
a. An exclamation used as a call of encouragement.
ΘΠ
the mind > emotion > courage > encouragement > take courage [interjection]
courage1600
heigh1600
coraggio1605
thataboy1936
1600 B. Jonson Every Man out of his Humor ii. i. sig. E They'le leape from one thing to another like a squirrell, heigh; Daunce, and do tricks i' their discourse. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) i. i. 5 Heigh my hearts, cheerely, cheerely my harts.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) iv. iii. 2 When Daffadils begin to peere, With heigh the Doxy ouer the dale. View more context for this quotation
1750 J. Wesley Wks. (1872) IX. 75 Now, heigh for the Romans!
1871 J. Miller Songs Italy (1878) 116 Heigh boot and heigh horse, and away with a will.
b. As an expression of inquiry: cf. eh int.
Π
1848 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair li. 458 Heigh ha? Run him through the body. Marry somebody else, hay?
B. n.
Used as a name for the exclamation.
ΘΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > cheerfulness > [noun] > action of cheering > cheering exclamation
heigh1574
1574 J. Baret Aluearie H 352 An Heigh or shrill sound, extentus sonus.
?1578 W. Patten Let. Entertainm. Killingwoorth 85 What, with my spanish sospires, my french heighes.
1595 Enq. Tripe-wife (1881) 146 Shall he run vp and downe the town, with friskes, and heighs, and fillops, and trickes.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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int.n.1574