English Reference
verb · noun

heats

v. · n.
US /ˈhits/ UK /hˈiːts/ heats

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    v.to make something warm or hot.

    v.to increase the temperature of something; third-person singular present indicative form.

    Simple

    The sun heats the water in the pool during the day.

    In context

    The central processing unit heats up significantly when the computer runs demanding software for extended periods.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

    n.a series of races or contests to decide who will be in the final.

    n.preliminary rounds of a competition, the winners of which go on to participate in the final.

    Simple

    She won both of her heats and qualified for the final race.

    In context

    The Olympic swimmers competed in several heats throughout the morning to determine the lane assignments for the evening medal round.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Archaic

    n.times when the weather is very hot.

    n.distinct periods of intense atmospheric warmth or high temperature.

    Simple

    The long summer heats caused the small river to dry up completely.

    In context

    Historical records from the nineteenth century describe the oppressive summer heats that frequently led to water shortages in the city.

    heatwaves
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated