Heel Definition
- With the heel worn down. Used of shoes.
- Shabby or poor in appearance.
- To put in fetters or shackles; imprison.
- Directly behind.
- Immediately following.
- Having holes in one's socks or shoes.
- Rundown; shabby; seedy.
- To run away; flee.
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Heel
- down at the heel
- lay by the heels
- on
- out at the heel
- take to (one's) heels
- to heel
- at heel
- cool one's heels
- dig in one's heels
- down at the heel
- heel in
- kick up one's heels
- on the heels of
- out at the heel (or heels)
- show one's heels
- take to one's heels
- turn on one's heel
Origin of Heel
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From Middle English hele, heel, from Old English hēla, from Proto-Germanic *hanhilaz (cf. North Frisian hael, Dutch hiel, Danish hæl, Swedish häl), diminutive of Proto-Germanic *hanhaz (“hock”). More at hock.
From Wiktionary
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Alteration of earlier heeld, from Middle English heelden, from Old English hyldan, hieldan (“to incline”), cognate with Old Norse hella (“to pour out”) (> Danish hælde (“lean, pour”)). More at hield.
From Wiktionary
Alteration of Middle English helden from Old English hieldan
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English from Old English hēla
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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