heel
heel — noun
1. the hard, round rear end of a human foot, positioned just under the ankle — it i
the hard, round rear end of a human foot, positioned just under the ankle — it is the portion that touches the ground when standing normally
Haruto's new hiking boots rubbed against his heel and gave him a painful blister.
collocation: rub against the heel
The doctor asked Sofie to stand on her heels so she could check the bones in her feet.
collocation: stand on one's heels
Talia landed awkwardly after jumping off the wall and felt a sudden pain shoot through her heel.
Vinícius wore thick woollen socks to stop his heels from getting cold during winter walks.
When you run downhill, most of your body weight lands on your heels.
用法筆記
Frequently paired with possessive pronouns ('my heel', 'her heels') when referring to a specific injury or pain point.
常見錯誤
2. the section of a sock, shoe, or boot that wraps around or covers the back of a p
the section of a sock, shoe, or boot that wraps around or covers the back of a person's heel
A hole had worn through the heel of Ava's favourite woollen socks.
collocation: heel of a sock
The heel of Christopher's left boot had a thick leather patch sewn onto it.
collocation: heel of a boot
Élise checked the heels of her running shoes before the race and found a small tear in one.
Shanti bought new walking shoes because the heels of her old ones had worn dangerously thin.
3. the solid, raised component attached underneath the rear part of footwear, desig
the solid, raised component attached underneath the rear part of footwear, designed to lift the rear of the foot above ground level
Darius took his boots to the cobbler after the heel on his left boot snapped off.
collocation: heel snaps / breaks off
Amani prefers flat shoes because high heels make her feet ache at the end of the day.
compound noun: high heels
The heel of Apinya's school shoe had worn down so much that it slanted to one side.
Esme clicked the heels of her dance shoes together and smiled as the music began.
A rubber heel on a work boot lasts longer than a leather one in wet weather.
用法筆記
When used in the plural as 'heels' without a modifier ('she wore heels'), it is a shorthand for 'high-heeled shoes'. This sense differs from sense 2, which refers to the section of the shoe that covers the foot, not the raised piece underneath.
4. an informal term for a selfish or dishonest individual — typical in wrestling fo
an informal term for a selfish or dishonest individual — typical in wrestling for a villain character, and in everyday talk for a man you cannot rely on
In the wrestling show, Haruto played the heel while Christopher was the crowd favourite.
wrestling context: play the heel
The film's main villain was a complete heel who cheated everyone he did business with.
informal: complete heel
Nobody trusted the new landlord — the tenants all thought he was a real heel.
Amani's former business partner turned out to be a heel who ran off with the company savings.
- hero
a person admired for courage or good qualities; the opposite of a 'heel' in wrestling
用法筆記
Informal and somewhat old-fashioned in everyday speech. In modern use, it survives most commonly in professional wrestling (where 'heel' is the standard term for a villain character) and in scripts or stories that use deliberately theatrical language.
5. the thick, muscular area of the inner palm that sits nearest to the wrist bone
the thick, muscular area of the inner palm that sits nearest to the wrist bone
The massage therapist pressed firmly on the heel of Talia's hand to release the tension in her palm.
collocation: heel of the hand
Vinícius rested his chin on the heel of his hand while he thought about the puzzle.
When Sofie fell off her bicycle, she landed on the heel of her palm and bruised it badly.
Élise used the heel of her hand to push the heavy kitchen drawer shut.
- palm heel
alternative term, less common
- carpal pad
technical anatomical term, rarely used in everyday language
用法筆記
Also referred to as the 'heel of the palm' or 'heel of the hand'. This sense is anatomically distinct from the foot heel (sense 1) and is primarily used when describing hand positions, injuries, or massage techniques.
6. the thick outer crust found at either end of a standard bread loaf, typically fi
the thick outer crust found at either end of a standard bread loaf, typically firmer than the middle slices
Shanti always saves the heel of the bread to make breadcrumbs for cooking.
collocation: heel of the bread
Ava spread butter on the heel of the loaf and ate it with her soup.
collocation: heel of the loaf
The children argued over who got to eat the heel of the fresh French bread.
Christopher packed the bread heels in a plastic bag and stored them in the freezer.
- middle slice
the softer, interior slice of a bread loaf
用法筆記
Sometimes called the 'crust end' or 'bread end' in American English. In British English this sense is also informally referred to as the 'knobby end' or simply 'the end piece'.
7. the lower end of a string-instrument bow — the section closest to the player's h
the lower end of a string-instrument bow — the section closest to the player's hand, opposite the tip
The violin teacher showed Apinya how to hold the heel of the bow correctly for a straight tone.
collocation: heel of the bow
Darius gently tapped the heel of his cello bow on the floor to get the orchestra's attention.
action: tap the heel of the bow
Amani replaced the worn grip on the heel of her viola bow before the concert season began.
The heel of a violin bow is usually decorated with a small piece of mother-of-pearl.
- frog
the technical term for the block at the heel of a bow that holds the horsehair in place; 'frog' is more specific than 'heel'
- tip
the opposite end of the bow from the heel
用法筆記
This is a specialist term used by musicians. The heel is the part of the bow closest to the player's hand, opposite the tip. Luthiers and instrument shops are the most common contexts for this sense.
heel — verb
1. to put a new raised back piece onto a boot or shoe, or to mend the existing back
to put a new raised back piece onto a boot or shoe, or to mend the existing back piece
The elderly cobbler heeled hundreds of leather boots over his fifty-year career.
active: person heels boots
Esme took her favourite ankle boots to the repair shop to get them heeled.
passive: get something heeled
Haruto learned how to heel his own climbing shoes at home to save money.
The shop heeling men's dress shoes charges fifteen dollars per pair.
- resole
to replace the entire bottom of a shoe, not just the heel
文法句型
heel + object (the shoe / boot)
用法筆記
Relatively uncommon in everyday conversation; most people say 'get the heel repaired' or 'have new heels put on' instead of using the verb 'heel' directly.
2. in rugby, to kick the ball backward using the heel of the foot, typically during
in rugby, to kick the ball backward using the heel of the foot, typically during a scrum or ruck, in order to pass it to a teammate
Sofie heeled the ball skilfully out of the scrum to her team's fly-half.
active: heel the ball out of the scrum
The forward managed to heel the ball back to his teammate just before the referee blew the whistle.
Haruto practised heeling the ball during every training session until the move felt natural.
The prop forward heeled the ball cleanly through the back of the ruck to start a new attack.
文法句型
heel + the ball
用法筆記
This sense is only used in the context of rugby union or rugby league. Outside of rugby, it will not be understood. The ball must be moving backward — 'heeling' always implies backward direction.
heel — exclamation
1. a command given to a dog telling it to walk closely beside its owner, or to stop
a command given to a dog telling it to walk closely beside its owner, or to stop moving away and come alongside the person giving the order
"Heel!" the dog trainer commanded firmly, and the puppy immediately fell into step beside her leg.
command: dog training
Vinícius called out "Heel!" to his Labrador retriever during their walk through the park.
The owner kept repeating "Heel, boy!" until the excited dog stopped pulling on the lead.
At the obedience competition, each dog had to walk at heel around the ring without straying.
用法筆記
Used specifically in dog training and dog handling. The 'heel' position means the dog walks on the left side of the handler with its head level with the handler's knee. It is not used as a general command for all animals.