Heel

Definition: Heel

Heel

Noun

1. The bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground.

2. The back part of the human foot.

3. Someone who is morally reprehensible; "you dirty dog".

4. The piece of leather that fits the heel.

Verb

1. Follow at the heels of a person.

2. Perform with the heels, of a dance.

3. Strike with the heel of the club, of golf balls.

4. Put a new heel on; "heel shoes".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "heel" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Etymology: Heel \Heel\ (h[=e]l), intransitive verb [Old English helden to lean, incline, Anglo-Saxon heldan, hyldan; akin to Icelandic halla, Danish helde, Swedish h["a]lla to tilt, pour, and perhaps to English hill.]. (references)

Building

Fine Arts

Food & Agriculture

Metallurgy

Mining

Slang

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Heel

Avoidance

Beat a retreat; turn tail, turn one's back; take to one's heels; runaway, run for one's life; cut and run; be off like a shot; fly, flee; fly away, flee away, run away from; take flight, take to flight; desert, elope; make off, scamper off, sneak off, shuffle off, sheer off; break away, tear oneself away, slip away, slink away, steel away, make away from, scamper away from, sneak away from, shuffle away from, sheer away from; slip cable, part company, turn one's heel; sneak out of, play truant, give one the go by, give leg bail, take French leave, slope, decamp, flit, bolt, abscond, levant, skedaddle, absquatulate, cut one's stick, walk one's chalks, show a light pair of heels, make oneself scarce; escape; go away; (depart); abandon; reject.

Circuition

Verb: turn, bend, wheel; go about, put about; heel; go round to the right about, turn round to the right about; turn on one's heel; make a circle, make a complete circle, describe a circle, describe a complete circle; go through x, go through x, pass through x, pass through x.

Completeness

Adverb: completely; Adjective: altogether, outright, wholly, totally, in toto, quite; all out; over head and ears; effectually, for good and all, nicely, fully, through thick and thin, head and shoulders; neck and heel, neck and crop; in all respects, in every respect; at all points, out and out, to all intents and purposes; toto coelo; utterly; clean, clean as a whistle; to the full, to the utmost, to the backbone; hollow, stark; heart and soul, root and branch, down to the ground.

Danger

Noun: danger, peril, insecurity, jeopardy, risk, hazard, venture, precariousness, slipperiness; instability; defenselessness; Adjective: exposure; (liability); vulnerability; vulnerable point, heel of Achilles; forlorn hope; (hopelessness).

Deviation

Verb: alter one's course, deviate, depart from, turn, trend; bend, curve; swerve, heel, bear off; gybe, wear.

Discourtesy

Cut; turn one's back upon, turn on one's heel; give the cold shoulder; keep at a distance, keep at arm's length; look cool upon, look coldly upon, look black upon; show the door to, send away with a flea in the ear.

Regression

Turn tail, turn round, turn upon one's heel, turn one's back upon; retrace one's steps, dance the back step; sound a retreat, beat a retreat; go home.

Scourge

Triangle, wooden horse, iron maiden, thumbscrew, boot, rack, wheel, iron heel; chinese water torture.

Severity

Assume, usurp, arrogate, take liberties; domineer, bully; tyrannize, inflict, wreak, stretch a point, put on the screw; be hard upon; bear a heavy hand on, lay a heavy hand on; be down upon, come down upon; ill treat; deal hardly with, deal hard measure to; rule with a rod of iron, chastise with scorpions; dye with blood; oppress, override; trample under foot; tread under foot, tread upon, trample upon, tread down upon, trample down upon; crush under an iron heel, ride roughshod over; rivet the yoke; hold a tight hand, keep a tight hand; force down the throat; coerce; give no quarter; (pitiless) a.

Arbitrary power; absolutism, despotism; dictatorship, autocracy, tyranny, domineering, oppression; assumption, usurpation; inquisition, reign of terror, martial law; iron heel, iron rule, iron hand, iron sway; tight grasp; brute force, brute strength; coercion; strong hand, tight hand.

Support

Supporter; aid; prop, stand, anvil, fulciment; cue rest, jigger; monkey; stay, shore, skid, rib, truss, bandage; sleeper; stirrup, stilts, shoe, sole, heel, splint, lap, bar, rod, boom, sprit, outrigger; ratlings.

Velocity

Adjective: fast, speedy, swift, rapid, quick, fleet; aliped; nimble, agile, expeditious; express; active; flying, galloping; Verb: light footed, nimble footed; winged, eagle winged, mercurial, electric, telegraphic; light-legged, light of heel; swift as an arrow; Noun: quick as lightning; Noun: quick as a thought.

Crosswords: Heel

Dutch (absolute, at all, complete, completely, entire, entirely, fully, integer, integral, overall, quite, through, unbroken, very, very much, whole, wholly), Maya (valet).

Not every heel was in Germany and Japan (It's a Wonderful Life; writing credit: Philip Van Doren Stern; Frances Goodrich)

Achilles, heel! (The Hunchback of Notre Dame; writing credit: Victor Hugo; Irene Mecchi)

I needed a new heel for m'shoe (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge)

By my heel, I care not. (Romeo + Juliet; writing credit: Craig Pearce)

Well, 'cause you never know if a girl's gonna say yes or if she's gonna laugh in your face and pull out your still-beating heart and crush it into the ground with her heel. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; writing credit: Doreen Spicer)

Only Flagg Brothers had them with the Cuban heel (Keeping The Faith; performing artist: Billy Joel)

High heel dooby feel, plus got them Gucci nails, uh (Hey Ma; performing artist: Cam'ron)

There’s a voice in my head, that drives my heel (Radar Love; performing artist: Golden Earring)

Cut my heel had to cruise on back home (Margaritaville; performing artist: JIMMY BUFFET)

Heel to toe, Do Si Do (Any Man Of Mine; performing artist: Shania Twain)

Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. (references; author: Mark Twain)

Een Heel oud man (1972)

Achilles Is a Heel (1963)

Soul of a Heel (1938)

The Tar Heel Warrior (1917)

Een Heel verhaal (1999)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

References

• Dinkie Heel Plc: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

• The World Market for Parts or Footwear, Removable In-Soles, Heel Cushions, Gaiters, Leggings, and Similar Articles: A 2004 Global Trade Perspective (reference)

  (more reference examples)

Books

• Heel to Toe Address Book (reference)

• Legends of the Outer Banks and Tar Heel Tidewater (reference)

• Tales from the Tar Heel Locker Room (reference)

• Tar Heel Ghosts (reference)

• The Iron Heel (reference)

  (more book examples)

Periodicals

• Daily Tar Heel (reference)

• Tar Heel Junior Historian (reference)

• Tar Heel Nurse (reference)

  (more periodical examples)

Music

• Boot Heel Drag: The MGM Years (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Consumer Goods

• Goldblatt Trowel Trade Tools GB01626 11" x 5-5/8" Wide Heel London Brick Trowel (reference)

• Stanley 8438901629 Wide Heel London Brick Trowel (reference)

  (more baby examples; more wireless phone examples; more garden examples; more kitchen examples; more tool examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

The agitator : who is it's brought us here, I ask you? : who's a-grindin' us under the iron heel o' despotism? : I say to you the time has come, when ... Credit: Library of Congress.

Hitler's heel. Credit: Library of Congress.

Applying glue to heel before putting on another piece of leather. Bootmaking shop, Alpine, Texas. Credit: Library of Congress.

Cutting out heel of the upper from piece of leather. Bootmaking shop, Alpine, Texas. Credit: Library of Congress.

Heel and toe / J.E. Baker ; Armstrong & Co., Boston. Credit: Library of Congress.

The iron heel vs the mailed fist, the pacifist, and the pessimist / Morris. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

And I noticed as the left foot went down at the heel, ever so much deeper than the other

In order to eat, they had to draw their bread, which was thrown into the mire, up the leg with the heel, within reach of the hand

Then he turned on his heel rudely

The ice in the pond at length begins to be honeycombed, and I can set my heel in it as I walk

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Blood collected from heel puncture and dried on filter paper has been the most common method of sample collection for newborn screening programs for inborn errors of metabolism (phenylketonuria, etc.). (references)

Economic History

Colombia

Franchising companies also have been successful in other sectors including; Postnet, Office Depot, Future Kids, Heel Quick, and Sir Speedy. (references)

Slovak Rep

Unemployment is still the Achilles heel of the Slovak economy, with monthly rates oscillating between 19 to 21 percent for most of 2000, as reported by the National Labor Office (NLO), one of the two sources of labor statistics in Slovakia. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Expressions using "heel": achilles heel ♦ achilles' heel ♦ bring smb. to heel ♦ bring to heel ♦ come to heel ♦ cuban heel ♦ down at heel ♦ french heel ♦ heel bar ♦ heel bone ♦ Heel chain ♦ Heel of a rafter ♦ heel of achilles ♦ heel over ♦ Heel plate ♦ Heel ring ♦ heel squatting position ♦ heel tap ♦ high heel ♦ iron heel ♦ one's achilles' heel ♦ out at heel ♦ parliament heel ♦ spike heel ♦ stacked heel ♦ stiletto heel ♦ take to one's heel ♦ tar heel ♦ tar heel state ♦ To be down at the heel ♦ To lift up the heel against ♦ under the heel of ♦ wedge heel ♦ wineglass heel. Additional references.

Beginning with "heel": heel-and-toe, heel-and-toe walk, heel-bone, heel-caps, heel-length, heel-less, heel-piece, heel-raise, heel-shaped, heel-stomp, heel-tap, heel-tapping, heel-toe.

Ending with "heel": down-at-heel.

Afrikaans

Achilleshiel (Achilles' heel). (various references)

Albanian

u vë taka këpucëve, thundër e pasme, thembër, takë (cleat, heelpiece), shpoj me thembra, qelbanik (dirty, louse), prirem (incline, lean, list, tend, trend), ndjek këmba-këmbës, kërmë (carcase, carcass, carrion), kërcej mbi thembra, i shkon pas, godas me fundin e stapit, fron (cricket, king power, pew, stalk, stem, stool, throne), anohet (list, lurch), anim (bank, careen, lean, list, slant, tilt). (various references)

Arabic 

‏كعب الحذاء, ‏كعب (cube, foot, talus), ‏ميلان, ‏زود وبخاصة المال, ‏عقب عظم مؤخر القدم, ‏عقب (commentate, posterity), ‏عدا (besides, chase, course, forswear, lope, pace, patter, run, scurry, scuttle, sprint, spurt), ‏جنوح, ‏جنح (wing), ‏جرى فى أعقاب شخص ما, ‏أصلح الحذاء, ‏أدخل (allow, bill, come in, inject, insert, introduce, let in, press, put in, send in, show in, slot, squeeze, take in, yield), ‏رث (dowdy, down, dungy, inherit, mangy, outworn, seedy, shabby, slipshod, threadbare, worn, worn out), ‏بائس (afflicted, cheerless, deplorable, desolate, devil, disconsolate, distressed, forlorn, godforsaken, hapless, helpless, lamentable, measly, miserable, paltry, pathetic, penurious, piteous, pitiful, poor, poverty stricken, ratty, sad, scruffy, seedy, sickly, sordid, squalid, unfortunate, unhappy, woeful, wretched). (various references)

Blackfoot

mootohtón. (various references)

Bulgarian 

крайна част, долен край на мачта, долен край на мертек, долен край на ребро, долен край на стълба, долна част (foot, sole), доставям (accommodate, afford, furnish, get, give, haul, provide, purvey, rustle up, supply), пета (heel-piece, sole, toe), заден край на ска, заден крак на животно, задна част (back, buttocks, rear, stern), долен край (tail), кора (bark, cortex, cover, crust, incrustation, jacket, rind, skin), удрям топката, крайщник, крен, шип на подкова (toe), шпора (spur), ток (amperage, current, heel-piece), тракам с токовете, ритам назад с петата, слагам токове, следвам по петите на, удрям (bang against, bash, beat, biff, blast, bruise, bust, catch, douse, hammer, hit, impact, jam on, knap, knock, lash, lay, peg at, plump, poke, pole-ax, pound, ram, set, shoot, slam, slam on, smash, smite, strike, strike in, thunder, wallop, zap), мръсник (bugger, cad, cuntface, sod, stinkard). (various references)

Catalan

tacó. (various references)

Chamorro

dédeggo. (various references)

Chinese 

腳跟 , 跟 (and, to follow, to go with, with), 脚跟, 踵 (arrive, follow). (various references)

Czech

pata (abutment, bottom). (various references)

Danish

hæl (landside heel, runner). (various references)

Dutch

hiel (bead, insweep, landside heel, runner, tire vin, tread), hak (garden hoe, grubber, landside heel, mattock, runner). (various references)

Esperanto

kalkanumo, kalkano. (various references)

Faeroese

hælur. (various references)

Farsi 

یک ورشدن (Tilt, Tip), پاشنه کف , پاشنه گذاشتن به , پاشنه جوراب , پاشنه (Pivot, Talon), پشت سم , کج شدن (Careen, Lean, Lurch, Swerve, Tilt), ته (Base, Bed, Bottom, Butt, Extremity, Stub). (various references)

Finnish

sumppi, ruiskuvalettu korko (injection moulded), ruiskupuristettu korko (injection moulded), reuna (border, brim, brink, edge, edging, fringe, margin, rim), pistokkaan tyvi (base of a cutting), metallijäännös valusangossa, korko (income, interest, return, stress), kantapää, kanta (attitude, base, counterfoil, head, point of view, population, stalk, stand, standard, standpoint, stub), kallistuminen (inclination, leaning, rise in prices), kallistuma (inclination, list, lurch, tilt), kallistua (incline, lean, list, rise). (various references)

French

talon (landside heel). (various references)

German

ferse, absatz (demand, half-landing, indention, landing, overhang, paragraph, sale, sales, section), hacke (axe, hack, hoe, mattock, pickax, pick-axe), krängen (heel over, list). (various references)

Greek 

φτέρνα (landside heel, quarter, runner), τακούνι (bead). (various references)

Hebrew 

ל�"טות (abduce, divert, slant, steer, tilt), עקב (because of, footprint, footstep, hoof, in consequence, step, trace, trail). (various references)

Hungarian

sarok (angle, cant, coign, corner, nook, pole). (various references)

Indonesian

tumit. (various references)

Irish

sÚil. (various references)

Italian

tallone (bead, bead of tire, bead of tyre, frog, kick crank, landside heel, lock, runner), tacco (overlay, underlay), calcagno (calcaneum). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

踵 , パ行 (Classification for Japanese verb with the dictionary form ending in "pu", heal, heap, hear, hearing, heat, heat pipe, heat pump, heater, heel out, hero, hero package, hymen, interview, listening comprehension, public hearing), 卑劣漢 (despicable person, mean bastard, sneak). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

�'ール (heal), ひれつか�" (despicable person, mean bastard, sneak), かかと. (various references)

Korean 

발�'�꿈치. (various references)

Manx

leaystey (balancing, bank, boggle, brandish, dangle, fluctuate, fluctuating, hesitate, hesitating, hesitation, loll, lolling, oscillate, oscillation, reel, reeling, rock, rocking, roll, see-saw, sway, swaying, swerve, swing, swing back, swinging, vacillate, vacillating, vacillation, waddle; wavering, waddling; fluctuation, wave, wave of hand, waver, waver of fixture), cur lhong er e cheu. (various references)

Norwegian

hæl. (various references)

Papago

chehmi (senita cactus). (various references)

Papiamen

hilchi. (various references)

Pig Latin

eelhay.(various references)

Portuguese

talão (book, chequebook, coupon, talon), salto (bound, caper, dap, fling, frisk, gambade, gambado, gambol, hop, jump, leap, ramp, shift, spring, tittup), calcanhar (heelpiece). (various references)

Romanian

toc la pantof, ticãlos (a bad egg, base, cad, canting, cur, dark, dirty, felon, foul, hound, impious, kite, knave, knavish, knavishly, low-minded, mean, meanly, miscreant, paltry, perverse, picaroon, rapscallion, rascal, rascally, recreant, reprobate, ruffian, scab, scabby, scamp, scoundrel, scurvy, serpentine, shabby, skunk, sneak, sneaking, vile, villain, villainous, wretch, wretched), canarisi, cãlcâii de ciorap, cãlcâi, aici (here, herein, hither, there, to heel). (various references)

Romany

patòon. (various references)

Russian 

ребро (arris, corner, edge, margin, rib), крениться (careen), крен (bank, banking, heeling, list, lurch, tilt), каблук;пятка, каблук (heelpiece), килевать (keel, keelhaul), грань (edge, face, facet, margin, pane, plane, verge, vertice), накрениться (give a lurch, take a list), задний шип подковы, пятка, пята (foot, toe). (various references)

Scottish

s� il (a heel). (various references)

Sepedi

serethe. (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

snabdeti (cater, equip, feed, furnish, gird, provide, purvey, ration, stock, stock up, supply), podlac (cad, knave, scoundrel), peta, okrajak (lappet, selvage, selvedge), nagnuti (bank, cant, incline, lean, slant, slope, tilt, tip), nagib (bank, bevel, bias, camber, cant, descent, escarp, grade, gradient, inclination, incline, lean, list, offset, pitch, slant, slope, tilt, tip, weathering), metnuti potpetice, štikla. (various references)

Shona

chitsitsinho. (various references)

Spanish

talón (acknowledgement, bead, check, cheque, counterfoil, receipt, stub, ticket), tacón. (various references)

Sranan

iri, bakafutu. (various references)

Swazi

sí-tsêndze. (various references)

Swedish

klack (claque, joggle), häl, klacka (to nail the heels). (various references)

Thai

เอียง (descend, dip, skew, slantwise, tilt), ส้นเท้า, ทำให้เอียง (tilt, tip). (various references)

Turkish

topuk, ökçe. (various references)

Turkmen 

цkje. (various references)

Ukrainian

ходити слідом, шпора (armature, spur), каблук, п'ятка (anvil), п'ята, притупувати, прибивати каблуки. (various references)

Vietnamese 

sống dưới gót gi� y, kẻ đáng khinh gót A-sin, bắt giam ai, bỏ chạy chạy vượt ai. (various references)

Welsh

sawdl. (various references)

Yucatec

tuunkuy. (various references)

mud. (various references)

attalo, calcanei, calcaneo, calcaneum, calcanium, calx, planta, plantae, plantam, plantas, talari, tali, talis, talisque. (various references)

hoh. (various references)

talonem. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations

Words beginning with "heel": heelball, heelballs, heeled, heeler, heelers, heeling, heelings, heelless, heelpiece, heelpieces, heelpost, heelposts, heels, heeltap, heeltaps. (additional references)

Words ending with "heel": cartwheel, chainwheel, cogwheel, enwheel, flywheel, freewheel, gearwheel, handwheel, nosewheel, pinwheel, reheel, thumbwheel, waterwheel, wheel. (additional references)

Words containing "heel": cartwheeled, cartwheeler, cartwheelers, cartwheeling, cartwheels, chainwheels, cogwheels, enwheeled, enwheeling, enwheels, flywheels, freewheeled, freewheeler, freewheelers, freewheeling, freewheelingly, freewheels, gearwheels, handwheels, nosewheels, pinwheeled, pinwheeling, pinwheels, reheeled, reheeling, reheels, scheelite, scheelites, theelin, theelins, theelol, theelols, thumbwheels, waterwheels, wheelbarrow, wheelbarrowed, wheelbarrowing, wheelbarrows, wheelbase, wheelbases, wheelchair, wheelchairs, wheeled, wheeler, wheelers, wheelhorse, wheelhorses, wheelhouse, wheelhouses, wheelie, wheelies. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Heel" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Eheu, ehl, Ehle, Gheel, Ghelew, Haehl, hael, haele, hanel, hapel, Hawel, Hayel, haysel, healf, healm, healp, hee, heeb, heeem, heek, heela, heeld, heele, heeli, heelo, Heely, heem, heen, heet, heev, Hefe, hehe, heik, heill, helg, hemel, heml, hesl, hevel, hewel, Hewell, heye, h'eye, Heyl, hidel, hiel, hielm, Hielo, hielp, Hile, hoel, Hoell, hoil, Huel, huil, hwel, hyle, hyv, Khel, Nhel, rheel, rhel, theel, theil, thele, theol, thiel. (additional references)