ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hearts

n.
US //ˈhɑɹts// UK //hˈɑːts// hearts
  1. 1 plural of heart (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    more than one heart, either the organ in the body or the shape.

    the plural form of heart, referring to multiple cardiac organs or multiple instances of the heart symbol.

    Example

    The children cut out several paper hearts to decorate the classroom for the party.

    Example

    The study compared the hearts of various mammals to determine how exercise affects cardiac muscle density over time.

  2. 2 playing card suit (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    one of the four groups in a pack of cards, shown by a red heart shape.

    one of the four suits in a standard deck of playing cards, represented by a red heart icon.

    Example

    He was lucky to have the ace of hearts in his hand during the final round.

    Example

    In many card games, hearts are considered a major suit, though their specific value depends entirely on the rules of the game being played.
  3. 3 the card game (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a specific card game where you try to avoid winning certain cards.

    a trick-taking card game where the objective is usually to avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades.

    Example

    We spent the rainy afternoon playing hearts in the hotel lobby.

    Example

    The strategy in hearts revolves around passing high-value cards to opponents to ensure they receive the penalty points instead of you.

Idioms3 entries

Last updated June 19, 2026