heave-ho

heave-ho
interjection
1 old-fashioned used as an encouragement to a person or group of people who are pulling something, especially on ships
2 give someone the (old) heave-ho informal to end a relationship with someone, or to make someone leave their job
heaven /'hevn/ noun
1 also Heaven (singular) the place where God is believed to live and where good people are believed to go when they die
2 (U) informal a very good situation or place: sheer heaven (=perfect heaven): It was sheer heaven being able to stay in bed all day! | heaven on earth: I had imagined that being married to Max would be heaven on earth.
3 for heaven's sake spoken
a) used to show that you are annoyed or angry: Oh, for Heaven's sake! Do they have to make so much noise?
b) used to emphasize a question or request: For heaven's sake don't tell Simon about this!
4 heaven forbid spoken used to say that you very much hope something will not happen: “Will your parents be coming to the party?” “Heaven forbid!”
5 heaven help spoken
a) used to say that you will be very angry with someone if they do something: Heaven help him if he ever comes back here again!
b) used to say that it is dangerous to do something: Heaven help anyone who goes in there at night.
6 heaven (only) knows spoken
a) used to say that you do not know and cannot imagine what is happening or what will happen: We used to keep in touch, but Heaven knows what they're all doing now.
b) used to emphasize what you are saying: I just couldn't get him to stop gambling although heaven knows I tried hard enough.
7 what/how/why etc in heaven's name spoken used when asking a surprised and angry question: What in heaven's name did you think you were doing?
8 the heavens literary the sky
9 the heavens opened especially literary it started to rain very hard
10 move heaven and earth to try very hard to achieve something
—see also: be in seventh heaven seventh (2), thank heaven(s) thank (2)

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Heave — (h[=e]v), v. t. [imp. {Heaved} (h[=e]vd), or {Hove} (h[=o]v); p. p. {Heaved}, {Hove}, formerly {Hoven} (h[=o] v n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Heaving}.] [OE. heven, hebben, AS. hebban; akin to OS. hebbian, D. heffen, OHG. heffan, hevan, G. heben, Icel.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Heave — (h[=e]v), v. i. 1. To be thrown up or raised; to rise upward, as a tower or mound. [1913 Webster] And the huge columns heave into the sky. Pope. [1913 Webster] Where heaves the turf in many a moldering heap. Gray. [1913 Webster] The heaving sods… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • heave to — {v.} To bring a ship to a stop; bring a sailing ship to a standstill by setting the sails in a certain way. * / Heave to! the captain shouted to his crew./ * /We fired a warning shot across the front of the pirate ship to make her heave to./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • heave to — {v.} To bring a ship to a stop; bring a sailing ship to a standstill by setting the sails in a certain way. * / Heave to! the captain shouted to his crew./ * /We fired a warning shot across the front of the pirate ship to make her heave to./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • heave — heave; heave·less; up·heave; up·heave·ment; …   English syllables

  • heave — ► VERB (past and past part. heaved or chiefly Nautical hove) 1) lift or haul with great effort. 2) produce (a sigh) noisily. 3) informal throw (something heavy). 4) rise and fall rhythmically or spasmodically. 5) …   English terms dictionary

  • heave-ho — ☆ heave ho [hēv′hō′] n. [see the phrase HEAVE HO! in HEAVE ] Informal dismissal, as from a position: chiefly in the phrase give (or get) the (old) heave ho …   English World dictionary

  • Heave — Heave, n. 1. An effort to raise something, as a weight, or one s self, or to move something heavy. [1913 Webster] After many strains and heaves He got up to his saddle eaves. Hudibras. [1913 Webster] 2. An upward motion; a rising; a swell or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • heave — [hēv] vt. HEAVED or (esp. Naut.) hove, heaving, heaved [ME heven < OE hebban, akin to Ger heben (Goth hafjan) < IE base * kap , to seize, grasp > HAVE, L capere] 1. to raise or lift, esp. with effort 2. a) to lift in this …   English World dictionary

  • heave-ho — interjection, n 1.) old fashioned used as an encouragement to a person or group of people who are pulling something, especially on ships 2.) give someone the (old) heave ho informal to end a relationship with someone, or to make someone leave… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • heave-ho — noun give someone the heave ho INFORMAL 1. ) to end a relationship with someone 2. ) to tell someone they have to leave their job …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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