a. [ L. amphitheatralis: cf. F. amphithéâtral. ] Amphitheatrical; resembling an amphitheater. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ L. amphitheatrum, fr. Gr. &unr_;; 'amfi` + &unr_; theater: cf. F. amphithéâtre. See Theater. ] 1. An oval or circular building with rising tiers of seats about an open space called the arena. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The Romans first constructed amphitheaters for combats of gladiators and wild beasts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything resembling an amphitheater in form; as, a level surrounded by rising slopes or hills, or a rising gallery in a theater. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. amphitheatricus. ] Of, pertaining to, exhibited in, or resembling, an amphitheater. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the form or manner of an amphitheater. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An apron or covering for the front of the person. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Buck a beech tree + wheat; akin to D. boekweit, G. buchweizen. ] 1. (Bot.) A plant (Fagopyrum esculentum) of the Polygonum family, the seed of which is used for food. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The triangular seed used, when ground, for griddle cakes, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ rob. an abbrevation of escheat, lands or tenements that fall to a lord or to the state by forfeiture, or by the death of the tenant without heirs; the meaning being explained by the frauds, real or supposed, that were resorted to in procuring escheats. See Escheat. ] 1. An act of deception or fraud; that which is the means of fraud or deception; a fraud; a trick; imposition; imposture. [ 1913 Webster ]

When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who cheats or deceives; an impostor; a deceiver; a cheater. [ 1913 Webster ]

Airy wonders, which cheats interpret. Johnson [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) A troublesome grass, growing as a weed in grain fields; -- called also chess. See Chess. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) The obtaining of property from another by an intentional active distortion of the truth. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When cheats are effected by deceitful or illegal symbols or tokens which may affect the public at large and against which common prudence could not have guarded, they are indictable at common law. Wharton.

Syn. -- Deception; imposture; fraud; delusion; artifice; trick; swindle; deceit; guile; finesse; stratagem. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cheated; p. pr. & vb. n. Cheating. ] [ See Cheat, n., Escheat. ] 1. To deceive and defraud; to impose upon; to trick; to swindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of this island. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To beguile. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

To cheat winter of its dreariness. W. Irving.

Syn. -- To trick; cozen; gull; chouse; fool; outwit; circumvent; beguile; mislead; dupe; swindle; defraud; overreach; delude; hoodwink; deceive; bamboozle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To practice fraud or trickery; as, to cheat at cards. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Perh. from OF. cheté goods, chattels. ] Wheat, or bread made from wheat. [ Obs. ] Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their purest cheat,
Thrice bolted, kneaded, and subdued in paste. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being cheated. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capability of being cheated. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who cheats. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An escheator. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A weed of the genus Melampyrum, with black seeds, found on European wheatfields. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become unsheathed. [ Obs. ] Sir W. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. L. entheatus, fr. Gr. &unr_;. ] Divinely inspired. [ Obs. ] Drummond.

a. Designating, made of, or relating to, flour including a considerable part of the bran; whole-wheat. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

n. [ OE. eschete, escheyte, an escheat, fr. OF. escheit, escheoit, escheeite, esheoite, fr. escheoir (F. échoir) to fall to, fall to the lot of; pref. es- (L. ex) + cheoir, F. choir, to fall, fr. L. cadere. See Chance, and cf. Cheat. ] 1. (Law) (a) (Feud. & Eng. Law) The falling back or reversion of lands, by some casualty or accident, to the lord of the fee, in consequence of the extinction of the blood of the tenant, which may happen by his dying without heirs, and formerly might happen by corruption of blood, that is, by reason of a felony or attainder. Tomlins. Blackstone. (b) (U. S. Law) The reverting of real property to the State, as original and ultimate proprietor, by reason of a failure of persons legally entitled to hold the same. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ A distinction is carefully made, by English writers, between escheat to the lord of the fee and forfeiture to the crown. But in this country, where the State holds the place of chief lord of the fee, and is entitled to take alike escheat and by forfeiture, this distinction is not essential. Tomlins. Kent.

(c) A writ, now abolished, to recover escheats from the person in possession. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Lands which fall to the lord or the State by escheat. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which falls to one; a reversion or return [ 1913 Webster ]

To make me great by others' loss is bad escheat. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Esheated; p. pr. & vb. n. Escheating. ] (Law) To revert, or become forfeited, to the lord, the crown, or the State, as lands by the failure of persons entitled to hold the same, or by forfeiture. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In this country it is the general rule that when the title to land fails by defect of heirs or devisees, it necessarily escheats to the State; but forfeiture of estate from crime is hardly known in this country, and corruption of blood is universally abolished. Kent. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. (Law) To forfeit. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Liable to escheat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The right of succeeding to an escheat. Sherwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Law) An officer whose duty it is to observe what escheats have taken place, and to take charge of them. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Escheat. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Escheator. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. hete, hæte, AS. h&aemacr_;tu, h&aemacr_;to, fr. hāt hot; akin to OHG. heizi heat, Dan. hede, Sw. hetta. See Hot. ] 1. A force in nature which is recognized in various effects, but especially in the phenomena of fusion and evaporation, and which, as manifested in fire, the sun's rays, mechanical action, chemical combination, etc., becomes directly known to us through the sense of feeling. In its nature heat is a mode of motion, being in general a form of molecular disturbance or vibration. It was formerly supposed to be a subtile, imponderable fluid, to which was given the name caloric. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ As affecting the human body, heat produces different sensations, which are called by different names, as heat or sensible heat, warmth, cold, etc., according to its degree or amount relatively to the normal temperature of the body. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The sensation caused by the force or influence of heat when excessive, or above that which is normal to the human body; the bodily feeling experienced on exposure to fire, the sun's rays, etc.; the reverse of cold. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. High temperature, as distinguished from low temperature, or cold; as, the heat of summer and the cold of winter; heat of the skin or body in fever, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Else how had the world . . .
Avoided pinching cold and scorching heat! Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Indication of high temperature; appearance, condition, or color of a body, as indicating its temperature; redness; high color; flush; degree of temperature to which something is heated, as indicated by appearance, condition, or otherwise. [ 1913 Webster ]

It has raised . . . heats in their faces. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

The heats smiths take of their iron are a blood-red heat, a white-flame heat, and a sparkling or welding heat. Moxon. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A single complete operation of heating, as at a forge or in a furnace; as, to make a horseshoe in a certain number of heats. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A violent action unintermitted; a single effort; a single course in a race that consists of two or more courses; as, he won two heats out of three. [ 1913 Webster ]

Many causes . . . for refreshment betwixt the heats. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ He ] struck off at one heat the matchless tale of “Tam o' Shanter.” J. C. Shairp. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Utmost violence; rage; vehemence; as, the heat of battle or party. “The heat of their division.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Agitation of mind; inflammation or excitement; exasperation. “The heat and hurry of his rage.” South. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Animation, as in discourse; ardor; fervency; as, in the heat of argument. [ 1913 Webster ]

With all the strength and heat of eloquence. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. (Zool.) Sexual excitement in animals; readiness for sexual activity; estrus or rut. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

11. Fermentation. [ 1913 Webster ]

12. Strong psychological pressure, as in a police investigation; as, when they turned up the heat, he took it on the lam. [ slang ] [ PJC ]

Animal heat,
Blood heat,
Capacity for heat, etc. See under Animal, Blood, etc. --
Atomic heat (Chem.), the product obtained by multiplying the atomic weight of any element by its specific heat. The atomic heat of all solid elements is nearly a constant, the mean value being 6.4. --
Dynamical theory of heat, that theory of heat which assumes it to be, not a peculiar kind of matter, but a peculiar motion of the ultimate particles of matter.
Heat engine, any apparatus by which a heated substance, as a heated fluid, is made to perform work by giving motion to mechanism, as a hot-air engine, or a steam engine. --
Heat producers. (Physiol.) See under Food. --
Heat rays, a term formerly applied to the rays near the red end of the spectrum, whether within or beyond the visible spectrum. --
Heat weight (Mech.), the product of any quantity of heat by the mechanical equivalent of heat divided by the absolute temperature; -- called also thermodynamic function, and entropy. --
Mechanical equivalent of heat. See under Equivalent. --
Specific heat of a substance (at any temperature), the number of units of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of the substance at that temperature one degree. --
Unit of heat, the quantity of heat required to raise, by one degree, the temperature of a unit mass of water, initially at a certain standard temperature. The temperature usually employed is that of 0° Centigrade, or 32° Fahrenheit. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Heated; p. pr. & vb. n. Heating. ] [ OE. heten, AS. h&aemacr_;tan, fr. hāt hot. See Hot. ] 1. To make hot; to communicate heat to, or cause to grow warm; as, to heat an oven or furnace, an iron, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

Heat me these irons hot. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To excite or make hot by action or emotion; to make feverish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pray, walk softly; do not heat your blood. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To excite ardor in; to rouse to action; to excite to excess; to inflame, as the passions. [ 1913 Webster ]

A noble emulation heats your breast. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To grow warm or hot by the action of fire or friction, etc., or the communication of heat; as, the iron or the water heats slowly. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To grow warm or hot by fermentation, or the development of heat by chemical action; as, green hay heats in a mow, and manure in the dunghill. [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. & p. p. of Heat. Heated; as, the iron though heat red-hot. [ Obs. or Archaic ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. characterized by great warmth and intensity of feeling; as, a heated argument. Opposite of dispassionate, passionless. [ wns=1 ]
Syn. -- ardent, fervent, fervid, fiery, hot, impassioned, perfervid, torrid. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. supplied with a mechanism for heating; -- of structures or devices; as, a heated fishing cabin. Opposite of unheated. [ wns=2 ] [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, heats. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any contrivance or implement, as a furnace, stove, or other heated body or vessel, etc., used to impart heat to something, or to contain something to be heated. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A pistol or other carryable firearm; as, gunmen with their heaters bulging in their pockets. [ slang ] [ PJC ]

Feed heater. See under Feed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. heth waste land, the plant heath, AS. h&aemacr_;ð; akin to D. & G. heide, Icel. heiðr waste land, Dan. hede, Sw. hed, Goth. haiþi field, L. bucetum a cow pasture; cf. W. coed a wood, Skr. kshētra field. √20. ] 1. (Bot.) (a) A low shrub (Erica vulgaris or Calluna vulgaris), with minute evergreen leaves, and handsome clusters of pink flowers. It is used in Great Britain for brooms, thatch, beds for the poor, and for heating ovens. It is also called heather, and ling. (b) Also, any species of the genus Erica, of which several are European, and many more are South African, some of great beauty. See Illust. of Heather. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A place overgrown with heath; any cheerless tract of country overgrown with shrubs or coarse herbage. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their stately growth, though bare,
Stands on the blasted heath. Milton [ 1913 Webster ]

Heath cock (Zool.), the blackcock. See Heath grouse (below). --
Heath grass (Bot.), a kind of perennial grass, of the genus Triodia (Triodia decumbens), growing on dry heaths. --
Heath grouse, or
Heath game (Zool.), a European grouse (Tetrao tetrix), which inhabits heaths; -- called also black game, black grouse, heath poult, heath fowl, moor fowl. The male is called heath cock, and blackcock; the female, heath hen, and gray hen. --
Heath hen. (Zool.) See Heath grouse (above). --
Heath pea (Bot.), a species of bitter vetch (Lathyrus macrorhizus), the tubers of which are eaten, and in Scotland are used to flavor whisky. --
Heath throstle (Zool.), a European thrush which frequents heaths; the ring ouzel. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Clad or crowned with heath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Heathens r collectively Heathen. [ OE. hethen, AS. h&aemacr_;ðen, prop. an adj. fr. h&aemacr_;ð heath, and orig., therefore, one who lives in the country or on the heaths and in the woods (cf. pagan, fr. pagus village); akin to OS. hēðin, adj., D. heiden a heathen, G. heide, OHG. heidan, Icel. heiðinn, adj., Sw. heden, Goth. haiþnō, n. fem. See Heath, and cf. Hoiden. ] 1. An individual of the pagan or unbelieving nations, or those which worship idols and do not acknowledge the true God; a pagan; an idolater. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An irreligious person. [ 1913 Webster ]

If it is no more than a moral discourse, he may preach it and they may hear it, and yet both continue unconverted heathens. V. Knox. [ 1913 Webster ]

The heathen, as the term is used in the Scriptures, all people except the Jews; now used of all people except Christians, Jews, and Muslims. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. Ps. ii. 8.

Syn. -- Pagan; gentile. See Pagan. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Gentile; pagan; as, a heathen author. “The heathen philosopher.” “All in gold, like heathen gods.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Barbarous; unenlightened; heathenish. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Irreligious; scoffing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. h&aemacr_;ðendōm. ] 1. That part of the world where heathenism prevails; the heathen nations, considered collectively. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Heathenism. C. Kingsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. h&aemacr_;ðennes, i. e., heathenness. ] Heathendom. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ AS. h&aemacr_;ðenisc. ] 1. Of or pertaining to the heathen; resembling or characteristic of heathens. “Worse than heathenish crimes.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Rude; uncivilized; savage; cruel. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Irreligious; as, a heathenish way of living. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a heathenish manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being heathenish. “The . . . heathenishness and profaneness of most playbooks.” Prynne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The religious system or rites of a heathen nation; idolatry; paganism. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The manners or morals usually prevalent in a heathen country; ignorance; rudeness; barbarism. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Heathenized p. pr. & vb. n. Heathenizing ] To render heathen or heathenish. Firmin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Heathenesse. ] State of being heathen or like the heathen. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The state, quality, or character of the heathen. [ 1913 Webster ]

Your heathenry and your laziness. C. Kingsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Heathendom; heathen nations. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Heath. ] Heath. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Gorse and grass
And heather, where his footsteps pass,
The brighter seem. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Heather bell (Bot.), one of the pretty subglobose flowers of two European kinds of heather (Erica Tetralix, and Erica cinerea). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Heathy; abounding in heather; of the nature of heath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A large Northern European black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix formerly Tetrao tetrix) with a lyre-shaped tail; it is also called heath grouse, black game, black grouse, heath poult, heath fowl, and moor fowl. See heath grouse under heath, above.
Syn. -- European black grouse, Lyrurus tetrix. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Full of heath; abounding with heath; as, heathy land; heathy hills. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That heats or imparts heat; promoting warmth or heat; exciting action; stimulating; as, heating medicines or applications. [ 1913 Webster ]

Heating surface (Steam Boilers), the aggregate surface exposed to fire or to the heated products of combustion, esp. of all the plates or sheets that are exposed to water on their opposite surfaces; -- called also fire surface. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a heating manner; so as to make or become hot or heated. [ 1913 Webster ]