heat

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun American English

n. the system that keeps a building warm.

n. a system or apparatus used to maintain a comfortable temperature within a building.

“It was so cold in the apartment that we had to turn the heat up.”

“The landlord promised to repair the central heat before the first major frost of the season arrived.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports

n. one of the early races to decide who goes into the final.

n. a preliminary round in a race or competition used to determine the finalists.

“She won her heat easily and moved on to the final race.”

“After a disappointing performance in the first heat, the sprinter adjusted his starting block position for the second round.”

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun Cooking

n. the burning feeling in your mouth from spicy food.

n. the quality of being spicy or pungent, typically caused by capsaicin in peppers.

“The chili had a lot of heat, so I drank some milk to cool my mouth.”

“The chef balanced the heat of the habanero peppers with a cooling mango salsa to create a more complex flavour profile.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Informal

n. strong pressure, criticism, or unwanted attention from people like the police.

n. intensive pressure, scrutiny, or criticism, often from authorities or an opposing group.

“The politician felt the heat after the news reported on his secret meetings.”

“The company began to feel the heat from federal regulators after several whistleblowers came forward with evidence of fraud.”

A2 · Elementary

v. to make something warmer or hot.

v. to increase the temperature of an object or environment.

“You can heat the soup in the microwave for two minutes.”

“The laboratory technician needed to heat the solution to exactly eighty degrees to trigger the desired chemical reaction.”