heat

1 /hi:t/ noun

1 (U) warmth or hotness: The heat of the water caused the glass to shatter. | Black surfaces absorb heat from the sun.

2 the heat

a) very hot weather: I couldn't stand the heat. | the heat of the day (=the hottest part of the day)

b) AmE the system in a house that keeps it warm in the winter; heating BrE

3 (countable usually singular) the hot temperature of an oven or a heating system: When the oven reaches the correct heat, the light goes off. | turn up/turn down the heat: She turned up the heat on the cooker.

4 in the heat of the moment/argument/battle etc while feeling angry or excited: In the heat of the argument I said a few things I regret now..

5 take the heat out of the situation to make a situation calmer and make people less angry and excited

6 the heat is on/off spoken used to say that a situation is very difficult, or that a difficult situation has now ended and you can relax

7 on heat also in heat AmE if a female animal is on heat, her body is ready to have sex with a male

8 in a race (C) a part of a race or competition whose winners then compete against each other in the next part

—see also: dead heat, white heat 2 verb (I, T) to make something become warm or hot: Heat the milk until it boils. heat up phrasal verb

1 (I, T) to become warm or hot or to make something become warm or hot: heat sth up: I heated up the remains of last night's supper. | heat up: The stove takes a while to heat up.

2 (I) if a situation heats up, it becomes dangerous or full of problems

heat sth through phrasal verb (T) to heat food thoroughly